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MOVIES / ON DVD / IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
In the Valley of Elah

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In the Valley of Elah (2007)

72%
69%
86%
N/A
N/A
N/A
72 %
Reviews Counted: 147 Fresh: 106  Rotten:41 Average Rating: 7/10
 
Consensus: Though some of Paul Haggis's themes are heavy-handed, In the Valley of Elah is otherwise an engrossing murder mystery and antiwar statement, featuring a mesmerizing performance from Tommy Lee Jones.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min

Theatrical Release: Sep 28, 2007 Wide

Box Office: $6,585,535

Synopsis: Tommy Lee Jones plays Hank Deerfield, a retired military man investigating the mysterious disappearance of his soldier son, Mike, in this somber mystery-drama from director Paul Haggis (CRASH). Charlize Theron is the civilian homicide cop in the small town near the base where Mike... Tommy Lee Jones plays Hank Deerfield, a retired military man investigating the mysterious disappearance of his soldier son, Mike, in this somber mystery-drama from director Paul Haggis (CRASH). Charlize Theron is the civilian homicide cop in the small town near the base where Mike recently returned from a term of combat in Iraq. When this unlikely pair ends up investigating the mystery together, they encounter some suspicious covering-up from the army. Deerfield gets access to his son's camera phone which contains startling video footage from combat overseas. Using a muted palette of military browns and greens, Haggis shows the same sharp eye for humanistic detail that served him so well in CRASH, infusing desolate scenes of civilian life--sterile concrete barracks, sleazy strip clubs, homey but empty diners, drugs, fast food joints, and ghostly motels--with vivid detail. Performances are all Oscar-worthy: Jones's craggy, weather-beaten face hiding grief and anguish beneath a steely facade until they threatens to boil over. His mug becomes a symbol for an America with no other choice but to confront its own grave flaws if it's ever to find any answers. Susan Sarandon bring the pain to the surface as the anguished mother waiting at home, and Theron is strong and sure, as a single mother who bravely faces, among other challenges, harassment in the workplace. Josh Brolin is her ex, the chief of police, and Jason Patric and James Franco are among the impassive faces of the military. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Frances Fisher, Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric

Director: Paul Haggis
Screenwriter: Paul Haggis
Story: Mark Boal, Paul Haggis
Producer: Paul Haggis, Larry Becsey, Patrick Wachsberger, Steven Samuels, Darlene Caamano Loquet
Composer: Mark Isham

DVD Info

Release:

Feb 19, 2008

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Anamorphic Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French, Spanish
  • Subtitles - English, French, Spanish

Additional Release Material:

  • Additional Scene
  • Featurettes - 1. IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH: AFTER IRAQ
  • 2. IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH: COMING HOME

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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Ratings Image
4/5

Un drama detectivesco conmovedor que termina siendo un alegato contra la guerra más contundente que cualquier discurso pacifista.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/26/08
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total
Ratings Image
N/A

Regardless of which side of the political fence one sits on, 'In the Valley of Elah''s power can't be denied and the strong acting must be appreciated.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/03/08
Frank Wilkins
ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Ratings Image
B

It's a quality film, but all the truly emotional moments come from watching and listening to the soldiers, which doesn't really happen until the very end.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/03/08
Jeff Bayer
Daily Herald (IL)
Ratings Image
8/10

It is extraordinary that a film this muted could resonate with a message this strong.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
Colorado Springs Gazette
Ratings Image
4/5

This is a beautiful film hiding the terrible truth that is the horror of war.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/27/08
Laura Parker
FILMINK (Australia)
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7/10

[Jones] makes the father's pride, determination, stubbornness, patriotism, and love extremely, utterly believable, sympathetic, and involving.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/26/08
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies
Ratings Image
3.5/4

Will hopefully be appreciated years from now when the Iraq war is looked upon by many as a war that revealed to its citizens what America has truly become...

Full Review | comment Comment
02/23/08
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Ratings Image
N/A

It's Tommy Lee Jones' film: he produces a stiff ex-soldier whose clipped speech and manner hide a seething mass of apprehension and guilt.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/21/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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7/10

...a good mystery, with some thought-provoking observations on the effects of war on the hearts and minds of its participants.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/15/08
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
Ratings Image
4/5

Where Lions For Lambs stumbled, Haggis’ latest succeeds in putting dramatic form to the disquiet over US policy. Tommy Lee Jones’ performance, meanwhile, is impressive enough to make him a decent bet in this year’s Oscar race.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/24/08
Neil Smith
Total Film
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4/5

A sombre condemnation of US foreign policy, wrapped in an absorbing whodunit.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/24/08
Elliott Noble
Sky Movies
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4/5

Jones’ Oscar-nominated performance is impeccably judged. His low-key turn as a man forced to question everything from the kind of father he was to the nature of the country he fought for could be the contender to give Daniel Day-Lewis a run for his money.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/24/08
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
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3.5/5

A powerful, imperfect drama let down by the playground polemic of a country still sending its children to be slaughtered overseas.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/24/08
Matt Glasby
Channel 4 Film
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4/5

Powerful, downbeat drama with an anti-war message.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/24/08
Neil Smith
BBC
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4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/24/08
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
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4/5

Tense, powerful and considerably less crass than Crash, Elah may be jammed with ideas that don’t all connect, but Jones’ devastating performance makes this a compassionate and very human look at the Iraq conflict.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/24/08
William Thomas
Empire Magazine
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3/6

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/18/08
David Fear
Time Out New York
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/15/08
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
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B+

While you sometimes feel its length, stick with it--its in its layers that the movie comes alive.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/19/07
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)
Ratings Image
4/5

Uma obra que se propõe a discutir vários temas relevantes, fazendo-o com certa eficácia.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/28/07
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
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In the Valley of Elah, a Disappointment
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Best Picture Of The Year And Best Actor
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News

RT on DVD: Cram For The Oscars With Michael Clayton, In The Valley of Elah, And More Out This Week
posted by Jen Yamato February 18, 2008
Ready those Oscar ballots! With the Academy Awards around the corner, it's time to start catching up on what you missed...


Director Paul Haggis on In the Valley of Elah: The RT Interview
posted by Orlando Parfitt January 24, 2008
We sit down with the Crash director and Bond scribe to find out more about his political latest, In the Valley of Elah....


Amy Ryan and Greg Kinnear Join Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon in the Green Zone
posted by Jeff Giles January 10, 2008
"Making a movie about the war in Iraq" is quickly turning into just another way of saying "losing tons of money at the box...


Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
posted by Jeff Giles December 14, 2007
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its year-end awards, with Anton Corbijn's Control and Joe...

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• In the Valley of Elah at Rotten Tomatoes
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• In the Valley of Elah at AskMen
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