In the Valley of Elah (2007) Reviews
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, (more)
- Director(s):
- Paul Haggis
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Drama
Member Rating
My RatingAverage Ratings
11 out of 13 people found this review helpful This is an excellent movie with great acting. It's mainly a drama made for adults about the aftermath of soldiers returning from the Iraq war with one specific soldier's story as the main focus. If ... Read More This is an excellent movie with great acting. It's mainly a drama made for adults about the aftermath of soldiers returning from the Iraq war with one specific soldier's story as the main focus. If you like this type of story, and you like Tommy Lee Jones movies, you will love this movie. I reccommend all adults try this movie, it's very interesting and well made-----even if you don't agree with some of it's ideas. It's also based on true events. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
9 out of 12 people found this review helpful It is a film grounded in PTSD. Tommy Lee Jones is the father, a "NAM" vet with a few issues of his own. He can't get over how combat has changed his 'son'. It has an ending which is contrived, full ... Read More It is a film grounded in PTSD. Tommy Lee Jones is the father, a "NAM" vet with a few issues of his own. He can't get over how combat has changed his 'son'. It has an ending which is contrived, full of rage, and hate for the 'them in government' who corrupted his son. It is full of hollywood cowpiles spread throughout the movie... and twisted angst.' I wanted to yell out near the end, in my best impression of Jack Nickelson's, right on Marine Colonel imitation, "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!" if you watch it and have different feelings, so be it. It don't mean nuthin'; that's a perfect description of this flick. Get on with your life. As a Vietnam veteran dad should have known better then to second guess; as a Military Police veteran he should have handled it better then to hype and justify his wife's fears and pain.
Imagine what I would have written if Tommy Lee Jones wasn't my favorite movie star? Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful People should generally see this movie for three reasons;first, very interesting to watch the character development and second the whole oversimplification argument is balanced out as well as some ... Read More People should generally see this movie for three reasons;first, very interesting to watch the character development and second the whole oversimplification argument is balanced out as well as some very good acting by almost all the characters. It was better than I expected on the interesting side of things and Oscar quality but delivers a message that the Academy Awards folks probably thought politically untimely. This movie made sense to me and was impactful. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
15 out of 23 people found this review helpful I hung in there with this movie until the end. The acting is top notch as you would expect with the cast they have but the end of the movie felt over done. I felt like they took a true story and ... Read More I hung in there with this movie until the end. The acting is top notch as you would expect with the cast they have but the end of the movie felt over done. I felt like they took a true story and even made it worse. Maybe I'm wrong. Ninety percent of the movie seems like a well fashioned thriller of find the killer and then the wheels fall off. You find out who it is and then you find out more and more to the point that you have to ask yourself, "Is the point of this movie to show that EVERY SINGLE person who goes to Iraq becomes insane and worthless to society and to that point America is doomed to chaos?!" This went from feeling like a good movie to pure propaganda. I can get the message and don't mind the anti-Iraq message but you don't have to force feed it down the viewer's throat with multiple waves of it. At least show one person who goes over to not be a loser punk who is now ruined for life. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
16 out of 26 people found this review helpful The liberal bias of Hollywood strikes again. This is an anti military film and has very little historical fact. The fact that Tommy Lee Jones signed up for this movie and hung the U.S. flag upside ... Read More The liberal bias of Hollywood strikes again. This is an anti military film and has very little historical fact. The fact that Tommy Lee Jones signed up for this movie and hung the U.S. flag upside down at the end was appalling to a two tour Iraqi vet. Shame on all of those who were apart of this film. Hopefully Hollywood will get right someday, but with people like Susan Serandon it probably won't......... Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
11 out of 18 people found this review helpful Charlize Theron and Tommy Lee Jones do a pretty good acting job, Jones' character is not believable - meaning his actions, especially at the end - are not consistent w/ characters. There is drama ... Read More Charlize Theron and Tommy Lee Jones do a pretty good acting job, Jones' character is not believable - meaning his actions, especially at the end - are not consistent w/ characters. There is drama and suspense. The plot is fairly predicable b/c of the political slant.
Whenever the writer is also the producer and director (think: Michael Moore) you have to be ready for his propagandist slant on the issue presented. The anti-war and even anti-military theme was subdued but constant throughout the movie. This could have been a great movie, but the director's political views come across so negatively that it actually diverts you from the plot, acting and overall movie. Was this supposed to be political satire?
*****SPOILER ALERT******
The last scene where Tommy Lee hangs the flag his son sent him is truly disappointing. Not only is it completely contrary to his character, but it is the director's equivalent of raising the middle finger at the US Military.
~Z~ Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
4 out of 8 people found this review helpful I thought the movie was very over rated. Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron are fantastic. Of course Tommy Lee Jones is great in every role he plays. I didn't under stand the ending of the movie ... Read More I thought the movie was very over rated. Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron are fantastic. Of course Tommy Lee Jones is great in every role he plays. I didn't under stand the ending of the movie and they jumped back and forth to much for me. It was an ok movie but the ending was bad! It is definitely worth renting. I am not a fan of war movies but I give it 3 stars just for the acting. Not the best but not the worst I have ever seen! Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
13 out of 23 people found this review helpful A tortured and self-serving storyline by movie makers who want to make their own political statement. This is certainly something Susan Sarandon will be proud of. Don't waste your time watching ... Read More A tortured and self-serving storyline by movie makers who want to make their own political statement. This is certainly something Susan Sarandon will be proud of. Don't waste your time watching this. See The Incredible Hulk instead. It contains more realism than this movie. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
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