Shortly after returning home from a tour of duty in Iraq, Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) goes AWOL. His father, Hank (Tommy Lee Jones), a former MP, travels from his Tennessee home to New Mexico in order to find his son before he gets into any more trouble. Hank turns to the local police for help, but they tell him that his son’s disappearance is a military matter. Mike’s mutilated body is discovered a short time later, and with the help of Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron), seemingly the only cop who doesn’t want the military to quietly make the mess go away, Hank begins to discover the truth about his son’s death.

CRITIQUE

I’m glad writer-director Paul Haggis has finally become familiar with the concept of subtlety, but he still has some work to do before he completely stops shooting himself in the foot with his predilection for heavy-handedness. While In the Valley of Elah is nowhere near as polemical as his previous directorial effort, 2005’s Oscar-winning Crash (a film so didactic and preachy it makes Natural Born Killers look restrained), Haggis’s refusal to completely trust his audience’s intelligence does eventually get the better of him, dulling his story’s impact and intent, leaving what could have been a great film as simply a good one.

Despite the kneejerk reaction many will likely have upon hearing the subject matter with which In the Valley of Elah deals, this isn’t (for the most part, anyway) simply another attack on the U.S. and its current military actions in the Middle East. It’s more about the effects of war and the difficulties faced by soldiers trying to readjust to a non-combat life. And although it takes the form of a mystery/procedural, the plot is really just a skeleton on which to hang character studies of individuals dealing with/affected by such issues. (It’s a good thing the mystery isn’t the driving force here, as it’s full of contrivances and lapses in logic.)

Furthermore, the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder have only been brought to the fore in the past couple of decades; one could really set this story within the context of any modern conflict. The questions it raises will likely be relevant until war becomes a completely impersonal exercise (which will probably never happen), and even if it does, we’re nevertheless a long way from finding answers to such questions (if we in fact ever do).       

But for all the good he does in the first hundred minutes, Haggis runs the film completely off the rails in the last twenty or so, supplying a series of codas that baldly spell out his political views and come dangerously close to crassly exploiting the problems faced by returning soldiers. I can’t say I’m completely on the same page with Haggis when it comes to my opinions on the war, but there are obviously points on which he and I would agree; even so, I think he’s far too smug in his methods here.

I was half expecting the film to stop so Haggis could break in and tell everyone to pay attention because he was about to tell us what was wrong with the world today and how we could solve the problem. Anyone who needs a message spelled out as plainly as this isn’t old enough to see In the Valley of Elah, making Haggis’s approach more than a little insulting. The speech made by the Latino solider Hank assaults and insults isn’t necessary, nor is the final exchange between Emily and her son.

The outcome of the subplot involving the young wife and her veteran husband is laughably obvious (Haggis telegraphs the resolution the moment he introduces the characters). But worst of all is Hank’s second visit chat with the school custodian. Not only does it supply the film with a final image so ham-fisted it would give Cecil B. Demille pause, but--and this is far worse--it simply doesn’t ring true. I understand that Hank changes over the course of the film, but I just don’t see this man ever performing such an action, much less at this point in his life.

Haggis projects too much of himself onto Hank here, and it’s not true to the character. Any screenwriter worth his salt knows that’s a sin. (At times like this it’s easy to see Haggis cut his teeth writing for asinine television series; you won’t find much subtlety in you average episode of Diff’rent Strokes or The Love Boat.)

There’s one area in which Haggis excels, and that’s assembling a cast. Tommy Lee Jones, who earned an Oscar nomination for his work here, turns in a beautifully controlled, expertly modulated performance (which explains why he didn’t win the award), which is all the more effective for its restraint. Charlize Theron is also very good, as is Susan Sarandon, who has a few brief scenes as Jones’s wife.

Standouts in the supporting cast include Josh Brolin, playing Theron’s beleaguered commanding officer (after his work in Hollow Man, I never thought Brolin would amount to much as an actor, much less turn in three great performances in the same year), and Barry Corbin, who only appears in one very brief scene but provides a nice contrast to Jones’s character. (I imagine some will appreciate Frances Fisher’s small role, but I’m of a mind to chastise it for being largely exploitative.)

THE VIDEO

The 2.40:1/1080p transfer ably captures the naturalistic look brought to the film by Haggis and cinematographer Roger Deakins. (Three films shot by Deakins were released in 2007; this will be remembered as the only one for which he didn’t receive an Oscar nomination.) There are absolutely no frills to the visuals here; every moment appears just as it would in the real world, a move that perfectly fits the story. Black levels are strong throughout; above average detail and depth (even in the darker scenes) impart a smooth, film-like appearance. Some mild edge enhancement is noticeable, and you’ll see some digital noise and a bit of excessive grain if you look for them.

THE AUDIO

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is subdued and front-heavy. Both surround and low-end use are relegated to Mark Isham’s score and two scenes in which Hank visits strip clubs while looking for his son. (The bass in the first of these scenes will hit you square in the gut.) Dialogue is what’s most important here, and thankfully it always comes through cleanly and clearly. English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 tracks are also included. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are available.

THE EXTRAS

In the Valley of Elah: After Iraq (26 minutes) is a mixture of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast, crew, and the parents of Richard Davis, the serviceman whose 2003 murder inspired the film. With the exception of Jones, who expresses disdain for his character, most of the interview subjects simply throw stones at the current U.S. administration and rail against the war. (The comments made the strippers would do Elizabeth Cady Stanton proud.)

In the Valley of Elah: Coming Home (16 minutes) continues the trend established by the previous featurette, albeit here the interviewees bash the government for not doing enough for troops returning home from the war. (Zoe Kazan’s comments regarding the intelligence of the average solider aren’t likely to win her many friends.)

What’s billed as a deleted scene is actually an eight-minute collection of scenes that deal with a dropped subplot involving a wounded soldier (who, in a rather pointless joke, shares her name with a famous singer/actress) Mike had been dating before he was deployed. Haggis was wise to cut these scenes, as they’re just as beat-you-over-the-head-with-their-message stupid as the final twenty minutes of the film itself.

FINAL THOUGHTS