This is a story that most people don't want to see, but it needed to be done.
Comment
10/02/07
In the Valley of Elah (2007)
72
%
Tomatometer
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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:25-01-2008
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
Reviews for In the Valley of Elah
One of the most powerful films I’ve seen in years.
10/02/07
Postwar is hell!
09/30/07
Walking a razor-wire fence, [Writer/Director Paul] Haggis honors Americans serving their country while lacerating the military mindset that got them there.
09/29/07
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
...one of those near misses that have enough things going for it - like the performances of Jones and Theron - that you may be willing to forgive the films its flaws.
09/27/07
It's when the investigation sorts out the knowable (what happened?) and then moves into the unknowable (why?) that "Elah" moves beyond genre and becomes one of the year's best films.
09/27/07
Attempts to depict the manner in which the specter of war can follow a soldier back to civilization and inform every subsequent decision and action.
09/26/07
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
Academy Award season is offically underway with the release of Paul Haggis' hard-hitting drama, exploring the emotional wreckage of the war in Iraq.
09/26/07
Mostly effective, if not altogether imaginative.
09/25/07
Often heavy-handed detective-police allegory doesn't diminish the pleasure of watching T. L. Jones' economical, snappish performance.
09/23/07
Haggis' camera hovers over Jones' craggy face as if it were the lunar lander looking for a smooth spot to land. There is no virgin terrain on Jones' weathered face, just creased landscape that could be headed for another well-deserved Oscar nomination.
09/22/07
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
Click to read the article
09/22/07
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.
09/22/07
The movie isn't nearly as obvious or redundant as writer-director Paul Haggis's previous film, the Oscar-winning Crash, but it still feels like the work of someone trying too hard to enlighten you.
09/22/07
This is definitely worth a bargain matinee.
09/22/07
Each of Haggis' Oscar-winning leads brings out facets of grief and resolve, with Jones particularly affecting as a man who realizes too late that his son may not have been prepared for combat.
09/21/07
This is another home run hit for Tommy Lee Jones.
09/21/07
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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