A namby-pamby tirade against the war in Iraq, In the Valley of Elah is a Canadian's Sydney Pollack-inspired drag revue.
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09/09/07
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In the Valley of Elah (2007)
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Reviews Counted:150
Fresh:108
Rotten:42
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.
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).... [More]
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Frances Fisher, Susan Sarandon
Director: Paul Haggis
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Reviews for In the Valley of Elah
Like Missing, a critique of U.S. government policy disguised as a mystery about a father searching for the truth about his son. And a rather heavy-handed one at that.
09/14/07
This movie feels, stilted, long and boring. But it's also at times engaging, worth seeing for Jones' Oscar quality performance, not much else. If you like Million Dollar Baby you'll like this, it's almost the same film - in tone and direction.
09/28/07
Elah uses a slightly plodding police procedural format as an opening to a discussion about the effect the war is having on returning soldiers. It's a lot to ask of one movie.
09/20/07
Top CriticIt is so patriotic as to be a radical example of dramaturgy. On top of that, it is executed to perfection.
09/10/07
The last scene of In the Valley of Elah may be the most ridiculously ham-fisted and over-the-top moment in all of 2007’s supposed prestige cinema.
09/15/07
Top CriticHaggis' premise becomes confused; he inadvertently seems to suggest that this war is wrong not because it was unjustified but because of its corrupting influence on its participants.
09/21/07
Will forever be known as the upside-down American flag movie. But showing the flag this way is heavy stuff that is supported by the movie the way a bowling ball is supported by a dandelion.
09/14/07
Tommy Lee Jones astonishes with a silent, agonizing pain you will feel and not easily forget.
09/18/07
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09/15/07
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09/22/07
Underneath the deceptively quiet surface of In the Valley of Elah is a raw, angry, earnest attempt to grasp the moral consequences of the war in Iraq.
09/13/07
Top Critic[Jones] can't single-handedly save this frustrating film from its overly earnest impulses, but when he's onscreen, at least the hokum burns cleaner.
09/13/07
Wearing its holier than thou attitude on its blood-soaked sleeves, In the Valley of Elah is the most underhanded, backdoor anti-war film ever attempted.
09/22/07
In the Valley of Elah rises and falls on the strength of Tommy Lee Jones' performance, which is to say that it rises to great heights, indeed.
09/20/07
Often heavy-handed detective-police allegory doesn't diminish the pleasure of watching T. L. Jones' economical, snappish performance.
09/23/07
In the Valley of Elah David slew Goliath and Canadian director Paul Haggis tries to slay the US myth on the Good War in Iraq, though David was certainly more successful than Paul.
09/02/07
It is extraordinary that a film this muted could resonate with a message this strong.
02/28/08
It's a difficult picture dealing directly with misery and misfortune, but it has much to say about affairs of the family and the state of the union, presented in an unsettlingly peaceful manner few in the genre would dare emulate.
09/21/07
Has numerous levels that go far beyond a whodunit, asking us to look at familial ties, gender roles and relations, and the interactions of military and civilian worlds.
10/21/07
Latest News for In the Valley of Elah
February 18, 2008:
RT on DVD: Cram For The Oscars With Michael Clayton, In The Valley of Elah, And More Out This Week
Ready those Oscar ballots! With the Academy Awards around the corner, it's time to start catching up on what you missed in theaters. Snap up this week's offerings for... More...
January 24, 2008:
Director Paul Haggis on In the Valley of Elah: The RT Interview
We sit down with the Crash director and Bond scribe to find out more about his political latest, In the Valley of Elah. More...
January 10, 2008:
Amy Ryan and Greg Kinnear Join Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon in the Green Zone
"Making a movie about the war in Iraq" is quickly turning into just another way of saying "losing tons of money at the box office," but director Paul Greengrass isn't letting... More...
December 14, 2007:
Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its year-end awards, with Anton Corbijn's Control and Joe Wright's Atonement leading the pack at eight nominations apiece. More...
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