Writer/director Paul Haggis is no stranger to putting quality work on the screen (his "Million Dollar Baby" screenplay won the Academy Award in 2004); he's also not above pounding his messages home with a sledgehammer and a few sticks of dynamite (see the ridiculously over-praised "Crash").
So, when Haggis decided to go after the current war in Iraq, I was expecting the sparks to fly. Thankfully, however, his work with Clint Eastwood must have taught him a little restraint, as his newest release, "In the Valley of Elah" (pronounced "EE-lah"), is surprisingly subtle for Haggis, that is.
Still, the rather unsubtle conclusion leaves no doubt about the director's sympathies regarding the conflict; which, I suppose is in sync with the sensibilities of many Americans.
The plot, however, has little to do with the actual fighting in Mesopotamia, dealing instead with a soldier who returns home only to end up dead and dismembered near his army base. It's basically a murder-mystery whodunit set against the backdrop of this most divisive issue.
The father, retired army sergeant, Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones, "The Fugitive"), is informed of his son's disappearance by military authorities, but they and local law enforcement seem helpless to do much about it.
When a dismembered body is found to be his son, Deerfield teams up with a town police detective, Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron, "Monster"), in an attempt to uncover the crime. Used to having his own way (he was an investigator in the army), Deerfield bullies his way into the situation, going over everyone's head in various undiplomatic ways.
He's also smart enough to figure out clues ordinary investigators would overlook; and while Sanders resents his interference at first, she begins to grudgingly accept his assistance. Despite this double-team, though, their work leads up several promising - but ultimately blind - alleys until they finally stumble onto what really took place.
Meanwhile, Hank has recovered his son's cell phone with several disturbing video images from the war-torn country which may or may not lead to the killer(s).
With able support from Susan Sarandon (much funnier here as a grieving mother than she ever was in "Mr. Woodcock"), Jason Patric ("Narc"), James Franco ("Spider-Man," "The Great Raid") and Barry Corbin ("WarGames," the TV series "Northern Exposure"), among others, In the Valley of Elah (the biblical area in which David slew Goliath) is an interesting, if not fine piece of film craft.
It has it's flaws, of course, and it's allusions to better works, such as "Missing" and "Coming Home," spotlight these shortcomings even more.
The picture, however, is carried by Jones, who with a few facial expressions and grunts, conveys more emotion and thoughtfulness than pages of dialog. His scene when informed of his boy's death is heartbreaking; while his brief interaction with Emily's young son has a sweet edge, revealing the battle-hardened career military man to have somewhat of a soft center.
Some viewers may have problems with the less-than-tactful ending, however, utilizing an American flag (which seems to pander to a certain segment of the audience), as well as implying that most of our soldiers fighting in Iraq are sadistic killers.
When Haggis sticks to the murder mystery aspect, he travels a much more interesting (if not overly conventional) path. When he veers into politics, though, he tends to get bogged down like a heavy-handed lecture from Al Gore. This does not detract - too much - from an overall decent bit of work.
So, when Haggis decided to go after the current war in Iraq, I was expecting the sparks to fly. Thankfully, however, his work with Clint Eastwood must have taught him a little restraint, as his newest release, "In the Valley of Elah" (pronounced "EE-lah"), is surprisingly subtle for Haggis, that is.
Still, the rather unsubtle conclusion leaves no doubt about the director's sympathies regarding the conflict; which, I suppose is in sync with the sensibilities of many Americans.
The plot, however, has little to do with the actual fighting in Mesopotamia, dealing instead with a soldier who returns home only to end up dead and dismembered near his army base. It's basically a murder-mystery whodunit set against the backdrop of this most divisive issue.
The father, retired army sergeant, Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones, "The Fugitive"), is informed of his son's disappearance by military authorities, but they and local law enforcement seem helpless to do much about it.
When a dismembered body is found to be his son, Deerfield teams up with a town police detective, Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron, "Monster"), in an attempt to uncover the crime. Used to having his own way (he was an investigator in the army), Deerfield bullies his way into the situation, going over everyone's head in various undiplomatic ways.
He's also smart enough to figure out clues ordinary investigators would overlook; and while Sanders resents his interference at first, she begins to grudgingly accept his assistance. Despite this double-team, though, their work leads up several promising - but ultimately blind - alleys until they finally stumble onto what really took place.
Meanwhile, Hank has recovered his son's cell phone with several disturbing video images from the war-torn country which may or may not lead to the killer(s).
With able support from Susan Sarandon (much funnier here as a grieving mother than she ever was in "Mr. Woodcock"), Jason Patric ("Narc"), James Franco ("Spider-Man," "The Great Raid") and Barry Corbin ("WarGames," the TV series "Northern Exposure"), among others, In the Valley of Elah (the biblical area in which David slew Goliath) is an interesting, if not fine piece of film craft.
It has it's flaws, of course, and it's allusions to better works, such as "Missing" and "Coming Home," spotlight these shortcomings even more.
The picture, however, is carried by Jones, who with a few facial expressions and grunts, conveys more emotion and thoughtfulness than pages of dialog. His scene when informed of his boy's death is heartbreaking; while his brief interaction with Emily's young son has a sweet edge, revealing the battle-hardened career military man to have somewhat of a soft center.
Some viewers may have problems with the less-than-tactful ending, however, utilizing an American flag (which seems to pander to a certain segment of the audience), as well as implying that most of our soldiers fighting in Iraq are sadistic killers.
When Haggis sticks to the murder mystery aspect, he travels a much more interesting (if not overly conventional) path. When he veers into politics, though, he tends to get bogged down like a heavy-handed lecture from Al Gore. This does not detract - too much - from an overall decent bit of work.