Film

In his sophomore effort as a writer-director, Haggis (Crash) switches his attention from the troubled and divisive issue of race to the troubled and divisive issue of the war in Iraq. Sort of. There are certainly some big speeches about Iraq masquerading as dialogue in this curious hybrid of police procedural and earnest topical drama. Jones plays Hank Deerfield, a former investigator for the Military Police whose son goes missing a few days after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq. Frustrated at the military’s lackadaisical attitude, Hank starts his own impromptu investigation. When his son’s body is finally found, chopped up and burned, Hank becomes as dogged and as clever as the investigators on CSI. He gets some help from a local cop (Theron) who plays Watson to his Holmes.

Even in bad films, Jones is always fun to watch, bringing a sly mix of country charm, intelligence and emotions held close to the chest. And Valley of Elah is not a bad film, just a muddled one. It works best when focusing on Hank’s investigative prowess, but then Haggis trots out the set-piece monologues (two soldiers get one each, and Jones has several). The message of the film boils down to “War is hell, and civilians can’t imagine the bad things people do in combat.” That seems like a less-than-profound insight, and a distraction from a fairly engaging murder mystery.