Paul Haggis’s heartbreaking Iraq war drama “In the Valley of Elah” is basically a personal showcase for Tommy Lee Jones to construct an exceptional if fairly routine (for him, anyway) performance complete with his usual grace and roughneck concentration. He’s certainly not creating anything fresh here, but the script doesn’t exactly require him to either. The essence of Hank Deerfield is conveyed with such deep-seated compassion and vitality that observing Jones in his element is more than enough to warrant a strong recommendation.
The precarious murder mystery that subtly unfolds allows Charlize Theron and Jason Patric to get caught in the commotion and their inevitable clashing with Jones sets the scene for some emotively compelling moments that provide the film with a much needed spark. If you can look past the overt anti-war sentiment, Haggis actually creates a somber rumination on American patriotism with an intriguing dichotomy at its center.
- *** out of 4
Is it just me or does Tony Gilroy’s smoothly manipulative corporate expose “Michael Clayton” feel as if it could’ve evolved from the cautionary world of Sidney Lumet? The way in which Clooney, Wilkinson, and Swinton aren’t afraid to get down and dirty with the material is, to me, reminiscent of the 1970’s political muck that consumed such masterful films as “Network” and “Serpico,” so Gilroy has clearly chosen the righteous path to travel down.
As demonstrated by his work on the Jason Bourne films, he has a knack for tension-filled scene setting and the caustic dialogue he stirs up for these characters is as explosive as anything I’ve heard in quite some time.
George Clooney has always been an actor who can seamlessly blend the gritty with the suave, so the role of an ethically conflicted legal fixer seems to fit neatly into his artistic wheelhouse. During an especially volatile scene with Tom Wilkinson, his taciturn vulnerability is revealed even while trading verbal jabs with his former mentor and friend. Unlike Tom Hanks’s attempt at self-improvement in “Charlie Wilson’s War,” Clayton genuinely wants out of the muddled abyss his life become and we’re rooting for him all the way.
For supporting roles, Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton are awfully effective at capturing the essence of their characters, so they really become just as integral to the story as Clayton himself.
As Arthur Edens, Wilkinson delivers some of the finest work of his career by immersing himself in the world of a legendary attorney who suddenly has an extreme attack of conscience. Some scenes are so showy that it’s hard to believe that the Academy didn’t bite, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough with something just as stellar.
Swinton, on the other hand, did walk away with Oscar gold for playing Clayton’s conniving opposition, Karen Crowder, and although it wasn’t the flashiest part, her final confrontation with Clooney still sticks with me. If anything, her win will familiarize audiences with a spectacular European actress who doesn’t always rely on commercial popularity to earn accolades.
Now, if you’re wondering why I haven’t provided much in the area of plot description, my only response would be that it’s best to go into this one with as little spoiling as possible.
Gilroy takes many unsuspecting turns that only serve to obscure the truth and prompt each character to constantly question their own allegiance, so if you approach with too much passivity, prepare to be just as befuddled about the state of affairs as the people you’re watching.
- **** out of 4
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