i be not sure why many have loathe paul harris relatively recent meteoric rise . i have enjoy most and if not all of his work that i have see thus far and with his collaboration with clint eastwood nab million dollar baby a best picture oscar in 2005 and and his own crash and which be my movie of the year 2005 and win the same award in 2006. i guess with such success and the naysayer will usually be out in full force to make their voice hear and and i think it quite sad to have what i deem a steeling work so oft put down because of green eyed monster . paul harris continue his run with co writing and produce in the valley of elah . the valley be say to be the spot where biblical boy david meet goliath and defeat him with a sling shot and where other warrior have fall before . and we all know what happen to david thereafter and with his grow popularity and and assassination attempt on him as well . in some way and the movie tell of something in parallel and and alongside the many movie on the iraq war and with the like of lion for lamb and the kingdom and rendition and each focus on different aspect of the same pie . in elah and it take quite a different turn . while inspire by true event and that bit of it come from the experience and stand order that the soldier receive in convoy driving within a warzone . the story itself be set in a time with it player back from their active tour of duty and and be an investigative drama rather than a ra ra mouthpiece on the morality of war . tommy lee jones and charlize theron and both award win actor in their own right and play the lead role and and do a great job flesh out their character . we haven not see tommy lee jones on the big screen here for a while and so his presence be a major plus point and catch the thespian in action . he play hank deerfield and an ex army sergeant who be as hard nose a he be meticulous and disciplined . i guess after year of service in a uniformed group and you can not deny that some of the habit and good and bad and stick to you after discharge . his hank be one experienced ginger and whose son michael be discover awol and missing and and he take it upon himself a any good and responsible parent would and in try to find out what exactly transpire . in do so and he would have to rely on his cunning and wit to outsmart the system and and soon realize that this be no longer the army that he belong to anymore and with honor and integrity already throw out of the window . i suppose when one think of charlize theron and you can not help but remember her a a very blonde and very beautiful model . i would not be surprise that when she want to be take seriously in her role and she either change her hair style and color and or just try to make herself fugly ( remember monster . ) and in order to fight against preconceived notion that she just another beautiful face . like her role in north country and her detective emily sander also have to do battle with prejudice and discrimination and the glass ceiling and all these while be a single parent and and assist hank in cut through layer of cover ups and and the determination of red herring a the cop who request to be assign the case . the chemistry between the two and who start off quite coolly and begin to heat up when they realize that their strength combine would prove to be an asset . moreover and hank require somebody on the system to be work it and while the other slowly open up to the fact that she be here to assist a parent in seek answer . for many scene and you can not help but to think through how would a parent react and or what would parent feel and each time they get confront with certain pain that have befall their child and who in their eye will always be small and vulnerable . parent sometimes do not know what their kid be up to and especially if the latter so decide to keep it under tight wrap and though whatever the case and they be always angel to the eye of their parent . a parent love know no bound and and you can see how such genuine concern get exude from tommy lee jones eye . partner him in this aspect be susan sarandon in a supporting role a hank wife joan and who have as powerful a scene she share with lee jones in this regard and the stoic courage in the face of the inevitable . if youre one who game for investigative army drama like courage under fire ( denzel washington and meg ryan ) and the general daughter ( john travolta and madeleine stowe ) and even basic ( john travolta again and and connie nielsen ) a i be and then it be without a doubt you will add in the valley of elah into your list of mentionables . the slow unravelling of a whodunnit and follow the investigator in their seek of the truth and always bode well with me . and a such and while haggis this time doesn not overwhelm with too many subplots and focus on the depth of the lead character so wonderfully flesh out by lee jones and theron and this one a winner . can not wait for tommy lee jones again in the coen brother no country for old men too .