With his rhinoceros-hide mug and no-frills acting, Tommy Lee Jones thoroughly inhabits the role of an ex-MP investigating his son's mysterious death. His Oscar-nominated turn irons out some allegorical and dramatic bumps in Paul Haggis' Iraq-themed procedural, steering an exploration of the war's toll on its troops into something stinging and mournful. A flop in theaters, In the Valley of Elah deserves a second chance on DVD. EXTRAS A pair of making-ofs include unsettling interviews with the parents of Richard Thomas Davis, a murdered GI whose case inspired Haggis' script.
Image credit: Lorey Sebastian
James Franco and Tommy Lee Jones
EW's GRADE
BDetails Release Date: Feb 19, 2008; DVD Release Date: Feb 19, 2008; Movie Rated: R; Genres: Drama, War; With: Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron; Distributor: Warner Independent Pictures
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