In the Valley of Elah

No fan of his Oscar winners, I was not inclined to give a chance to Paul Haggis’ poorly-received film on the aftermath of Iraq for the soldiers who fought there, but a friend recommended it, and it definitely turned out to be worth watching, for the performance of Tommy Lee Jones if nothing else. But other elements came across well: Charlize Theron as a police detective once again does her best to make us forget how beautiful she is; there’s a pretty strong sense of place (a military installation and associated town in New Mexico) and the feel of an unfolding mystery. Jones is a former military policeman, whose soldier son has disappeared just after returning from Iraq, so he goes looking for him, and finds no good news. I will offer no spoilers, except to say that when the central event is revealed, its depiction is scanted and its significance dissipated in a way that undermines what along the way had been a fairly gripping film. What happens when the war comes home is, however, an important subject we will be contending with for decades. (2007, dvd, n.) *6+* (MC-65.)