Iraq and a Hard Place

Americans have gotten lazy. And Paul Haggis wants us to know it. The provocative writer with a string of masterful films to his credit ("Million Dollar Baby", "Crash", which he also directed), has never been afraid of hot-button topics (race, euthanasia). With "In the Valley of Elah", he takes on the Iraq War, but not as you might expect. "Elah" isn't an accusatory flag-burner anymore than it's a rousing flag-waver. Instead, it's a deceptively simple film that plays like a whodunit but is more like a what-have-we-done.

Set in 2004 and based on true events, "Elah" tells the story of Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones), a Vietnam vet and father of two now hauling gravel in Tennessee. Hank receives a call that his son Mike, newly returned from Iraq, has gone AWOL from his base at Fort Rudd. Immediately, Hank packs a bag (mostly crisp, white button-down shirts), hops in his pickup and heads to the base, leaving his wife (Susan Saradon) behind. Hank knows something feels wrong and it's not long before Mike's body is discovered in a nearby field. I'll let the film describe the gruesome details of his condition.

Quickly underwhelmed by the military's lackluster investigation - there are issues of jurisdiction as well as rookie mistakes over the perceived color of a car under a yellow street lamp - Hank takes matters into his own hands, enlisting the aid of local detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron). A single mother and the victim of none-too-subtle sexism from her fellow officers, Emily reluctantly lends a hand where she can. But these two don't become a clichéd sleuthing team. Mr. Haggis' script is far too intelligent for that. Across the board these are real people driven together by tragedy and an inept government (Bush press conferences echo in the background of many scenes).

Tommy Lee Jones gives a performance of such perfectly-tuned subtlety that it's almost unfair; his supporting performers are virtually made to look like high school amateurs in his wake. With his ever-creasening face and curt delivery, Mr. Jones deftly makes Hank a devoted father and patriotic military man with effortless ease. Ms. Theron does some nice work in an unflattering ponytail and (at one point) a broken nose, though she occasionally pushes too hard for a "big scene". Likewise Jason Patric flounders a bit as an ineffectual MP. Only Ms. Sarandon truly matches Mr. Jones in understated intensity. As Mr. and Mrs. Deerfield, they must portray parents coping with the loss of a second son to war. What could have been an overplayed grief-fest is nothing short of heartbreakingly real.

"Elah" takes its name from the believed location of the "David and Goliath" story. That is but one of several metaphors at work in Mr. Haggis' thoughtful, beautifully-crafted script. The writer-director is often accused of emotional button-pushing and to be sure there are moments of manipulation in "Elah". But he offers no easy answers and I, for one, am glad someone's out there pushing those buttons. There isn't a big catharsis at the end of "Elah" and only the barest hint of justice. Instead, there is closure and a superb call-to-arms. Not everyone, Mr. Haggis contends, is lazy. Only the ones who shouldn't be.