lations. In "In the Valley of Elah," he plays smackdown with war's impact on those who plan and wage it and the culture that goes along, even knowing, to quote a character, "It's fucked up."
His points are many and well-taken, but they aren't as powerful as they could be because he is often damn ham-fisted in making them. As a father looking for a lost "? in many senses of that word "? son, Tommy Lee Jones delivers a truly remarkable performance. His face is etched with the experiences of a lifetime, and it doesn't have to move much to speak volumes.
His spare performance saves the film from sinking beneath the weight of its director's desire to make his point. R
"?Kathryn Jenson White