Review of In the Valley of Elah (2007) by Victor L — 02 Nov 2008

:rotten: [b][i]If I could define In The Valley of Elah in just one word I would definitely say: Disappointing. Paul Haggis really caught me in Crash but in this one, I think he managed his anti war message in a very superficial way centering in a brutal murder that had different versions, big lies, contradictions and even at the end I consider the case was partially solved. Haggis had the actors but I think he wasted their talents: Sarandon was the best actress of the film but she only acted for 10 minutes, Charlize Theron was miscast and Tommy Lee Jones didn't end to touch my sensibility as the tough but loving father who does everything to find his son and know the truth. The abuse scenes filmed in Iraq with a cell phone didn't show us something we don't know, they didn't shocked me as they should have done. [/i][/b].

[b][/b].

[b][i]I honestly don't think this movie can identify the Iraq veterans in the future as Platoon, Apocalypse Now even Hair did with Vietnam's ones, if we continue talking about 2007's failures, I dare to say Lions for Lambs, although inconsistent too and more a lecture than a film, says more than In The Valley of Elah does and it leghted just an hour and a half.[/i][/b].