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.
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09/13/07
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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
Top CriticWearing 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
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
In the Valley of Elah offers a fine example of a mutually beneficial pairing of filmmaker and actor. Director and co-screenwriter Paul Haggis gives Tommy Lee Jones a great role. In exchange, Jones supplies Haggis with nuance.
09/21/07
Paul Haggis' earnest and eloquent film about the impact of the war in Iraq on U.S. soldiers, and by extension, their nation, is human-scaled. And as deep and harrowed as Jones' crevassed face.
09/21/07
Top Criticachingly sad
09/13/07
It's not just that Haggis has cast fine actors, but that he has created a mood and pace that makes the actors, the story and the themes of the film mesh.
09/21/07
In the Valley of Elah is an endorsement of doubt, a demand for questioning, wrapped in a package anyone can buy.
09/21/07
Top CriticWhile you sometimes feel its length, stick with it--its in its layers that the movie comes alive.
12/19/07
This is Jones' show and he makes you feel a father's fear and loss in ways that are subtly heartbreaking, never melodramatic.
09/26/07
Top CriticThis is undeniably a haunting movie. But don't let that scare you off. The ending, and all that leads up to it, will leave viewers devastated but deeply moved.
09/15/07
In the Valley of Elah is the first great movie about the stateside aftermath of the Iraq War and should be considered a companion piece to Hal Ashby’s post-Vietnam opus Coming Home.
09/20/07
It is so patriotic as to be a radical example of dramaturgy. On top of that, it is executed to perfection.
09/10/07
There's much to admire here: a continually surprising storyline, an aversion to cliché, a gallery of characters who are neither stock heroes nor cardboard villains, and a flawless cast.
09/20/07
This is no doubt the first of many movies that will struggle to tell the stories of a war that's far from over, and even if the tale is imperfectly told, it commands our attention.
09/14/07
The considerable power of the film is contained in Jones's hard-bitten, movingly understated performance.
09/13/07
Top CriticLatest 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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