In the Valley of Elah: DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray Review (2008)

Tommy Lee Jones is Hank Deerfield, a Vietnam veteran and former military police officer who wakes one morning to learn that his son Mike (Jonathan Tucker) has returned home from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Normally, this would be cause for celebration. Instead, it's cause for alarm when Hank learns that the military believes Mike has gone AWOL.

Launching into action, Hank packs his bags, says goodbye to his wife (Susan Sarandon) and leaves their Tennessee home for New Mexico, where Mike is stationed.

It’s there that he begins the disturbing next stage of his life, which wends around the sort of dark corners no parent wants to travel.

Director Paul Haggis ("Crash") builds a compelling mystery around a character-driven film laced with anti-war undertones. Charlize Theron is solid as the police detective who comes to help Hank, as is Jason Patric as a military detective who resents her because he's trying to contain a possible scandal.

While the movie's considerable running time is against it, stick with it--its in its layers that it comes alive, revealing character and clues with passing asides.

Key to its success is that the film ties its emotions to the gradually crumbling rock that is Tommy Lee Jones' face. That's a shrewd move, particularly since in that face are eyes that come to project so much--sorrow, grief, rage, despair--amid a stoic mug that was trained long ago to reveal nothing, and so it doesn't.

At least for awhile.

Rated R. Grade: B+

Read the full, unedited review here.

View the trailer below: