Anybody seen In the Valley of Elah (2007)?

[Plainview1981]

Extremely powerful movie starring Tommy Lee Jones as a war vet looking to find his missing son who had just returned home from Iraq.

It takes a look at how war effects the people involved and how they're not the same once they return home from War. The cast all give outstanding performances. It's great to see Tommy get scripts again that really fit him as an actor. But the rest of the cast is so good overall. Theron is one of the better actresses that we currently have. As for the movie, we hear about some of the terrible things that the soldiers may or may not be doing over there. Sometimes we judge them without truly trying to understand what they might be dealing with over there. And while the movie does contain some of the typical Paul Haggis heavy handed tactics, and it does have them at places and times where it really don't need them, it's still an outstanding emotional and intriguing story.

If Paul would learn to trust his actors more and let the story tell it's self, he could become a more solid and well rounded director/writer and maybe not be as hated as he currently is. Call Paul heavy handed.... But if this movie can help people understand what might be going on better, I can accept some heavy handedness. Not a perfect movie, but I give it a solid 8/10.

[DrReality]

I don't think Jones has made a bad movie. He is very intense.

[Plainview1981]

I don't think Jones has made a bad movie. He is very intense.

I thought he was pretty brutal in Batman Forever as Harvey.

[Swatguy]

It is a powerful movie. The flagpole at the end speaks volumes. To glorify war is exposed as reprobate. But many view war as fantasy.