In the Valley of Elah

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Writer/director Haggis follows his Best Picture Oscar-winner Crash with another “social realist” film, though this one is combined with a detective story, perhaps in an attempt to tone down his longing for another Oscar. A career military man, Hank Deerfield (Jones), gets a call that his soldier son has returned to the U.S. from Iraq but has disappeared. Hank decides to conduct his own investigation, with the help of a lowly but spunky young police detective, Emily Sanders (Theron).

The mystery itself is not particularly inspired; it suffers from too many false conclusions. In between, Haggis drops in lots of dialogue about and images of Iraq, worrying about how it changes people, turning them into unfeeling monsters. Predictably, Hank begins to doubt his own lifetime commitment to the military, though Jones handles this transition well. Theron is stuck in a routine role as the dreary single mom and picked-upon female in an all-male workplace; she strips off her makeup and dons bulky clothes in an effort to repeat her two Oscar-nominated performances in Monster and North Country. Even worse, Sarandon gets only a handful of scenes as the waiting wife/worrying mom. Roger Deakins’ beautiful cinematography makes the film look professional, but it doesn’t disguise the fact that Haggis isn’t a particularly inspired or visual director. In the hands of directors like Clint Eastwood, Haggis’ socially responsible material can be toned down, but when he handles it himself, it reveals itself in an uneasy blend of storytelling and preaching.

By far the best part is Jones’ nifty performance and his rocky, clipped way of revealing clues that others have overlooked. Like Theron, Jones is also repeating an Oscar-winning performance, but in his case, it has become a fascinating character, that of the relentless, methodical pursuer. By playing the same role over and over in films like The Fugitive, U.S. Marshals, Double Jeopardy and William Friedkin’s underrated The Hunted, he enriches it, adding new layers. The key is the absence of obsession that most other actors and films would exploit; Jones does it with an appealing hint of sadness and weariness. In the Valley of Elah strips away a bit of its mystery, but it’s still a great performance tucked away in an unsatisfying film.

In the Valley of Elah

** 1/2

Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon

Directed by Paul Haggis

Rated R

Opens Friday

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