i have no idea what to say about this film . no and that not true . i have so much to say i just can not organize my thought . it an astoundingly good film about an appallingly depressing subject . after watch this at santa cruz ca delightful art deco del mar theater and my spouse and i drive home in silence and and pour a stiff drink before either of u could even begin deconstruct such an astonishing piece of cinema . what to say . what to review . i mean do i talk about the movie or the subject . movie do not get much good than this but it be a harrowing experience watch it . don not go when you want an evening of escapist fun . this be not a friday night movie . this be a wet monday afternoon movie . be it only possible to make great movie out of such depressing material . let start with the actual movie and direct by oscar winner paul haggis . i be sure this will be his next nomination . maybe his next win . it work both a a detective story and a social piece . every word of the script be perfect and not a word too many and not a word too few . it perfectly edit and perfectly shot . synopsis represent soldier return from tour in iraq go awol . his father ex army and ex military police turn up at his son base want to know what have happen and and the soldier then turn up dead and in small piece and and apparently cook . there be a gray area a to whether this be a military or civilian matter and and the father ( tommy lee jones ) find himself stick between an incompetent civilian police force and an edgy and defensive military police force and neither of whom really give a toss about the truth and the first because truth be too demanding and the second because it too embarrass . why do his son die . through decipher cell phone image and gradually disintegrate platoon buddy and father discovers that his son be not the nice guy he think he be and that he have nasty secret to hide from mom and dad and like drug and and a habit of torture iraqi prisoner and run over kid . tommy lee jones give the performance that will certainly earn him a nomination and and could well get him the best actor oscar . he an actor i have admire since men in black ( really . it on my all time favourites list ) and in elah his craggy character match his craggy face . we feel every ounce of his despair and disillusionment without any histrionics and because the script be spare and and the acting superb . charlize theron co star a the police detective who find herself drag into the investigation almost against her will . despise by her male colleague who feel she have sleep her way to detective status and she go from traffic patrol to truth fairy while juggle life a a single mom . this be certainly far and away the best thing i have ever see charlize theron do . she look raw and unglamorous and spend a large part of the movie with a band aid over her nose after tl jones inadvertently land a punch in her face . susan sarandon part be fairly small a tl jones wife and but i can see why she want to take the role and and her scene and though few and be stun and stark . almost set aside a merely the mother and ( whose job and after all and a a mere girly and be just to give birth to and raise her son . couldn not you leave me one of my boy . she cry in anguish to her husband at one point ) and she be not allow into the room where her son gruesome remain lie ( father be ) and be expect to be stalwart and supportive and even though dad ( tl jones ) set the macho tone for the home and by encourage both son to go into the military and where both die . everyone be good in this movie and the well know and the less know . i have see review which suggest it be too long but personally i do not see a thing which could have be cut . now the film subject matter and america presence in iraq while this be far more thorny and maybe imdb be not the correct forum for an in depth analysis . but personally i would be happy to see elah make compulsory view in every home . here a thought while a a society become ofter and it son ( and daughter ) be taught equality and diversity and emotional intelligence and political correctness all through their formative year and how do that society then train the killer it military wing need for war . apparently and by hammer into them some kind of totally over the top hyper macho ness and which not only meld them into a fighting unit but inure some to normal standard of human behaviour and possibly turn a few into sadist of the nasty variety . ( or be these guy sadist before they join the army and get ship to iraq . ) then shove them into a totally unnecessary and unwarranted war where it be impossible to tell who be a friend and who a foe . how do you come from a society that purport to believe every life be valuable and and find yourself run over child play in the street in case they be the enemy . this movie be say to be base on a real story . if it be and and that doesn not sober u up and nothing will . the only real surprise be that more of them do not go nuts . one very slight criticism . the murder site look exactly the same a the murder site in paul haggis oscar winner crash . it jar . i find it a distraction to be say to myself and hey isn not that where they find the body in crash too . he need to find a new location scout .