when write for others ( clint eastwood and the bond franchise ) and paul haggis delivers one masterpiece after another . when he step behind the camera himself ( crash ) and the result be good and but still lack something and and though in the valley of elah isn not perfect and it represent a huge step forward in the right direction . realize crash multi story structure be a strength but also a weakness and haggis go for a more linear narrative this time and and choose a rather controversial subject for it represent the iraq war . but it isn not the conflict itself he interest in what he really care about be how it affect people conception of the world . in particular and he focus on hank deerfield ( the oscar nominate tommy lee jones and in a role originally mean for eastwood ) and a vietnam veteran whose faith in american value be test when he learn his young son have go mia after return from a tout of duty in the middle east . with only the boy cell phone a a clue and hank begin to look into the case with the help of a female detective ( charlize theron ) and discovers he might have make the wrong decision when his son body be find and his wife ( susan sarandon ) blame him for the death of both their child ( the other one be kill in combat ) . how much have the usa change since the war in iraq begin . that the question haggis try to answer and but instead of criticize the armed force per se and he follow the gradual downfall of hank belief represent early in the film and he chastise a man for hang the american flag upside down ( a gesture that reflect the movie message represent the situation be bad than imagine ) and only to question his blind trust in society a his investigation come close to it harrow solution . it be jones weary eye and determined voice that carry the picture and and haggis be wise enough to deviate as little a possible to other story arc and something he could have avoid altogether represent the scene where theron be mock by her male colleague ( josh brolin among them ) be a tired and totally unnecessary cliché . furthermore and one might wonder why the director cast a high profile actress like sarandon in a rather irrelevant role that doesn not require her to do much but be angry over the phone . ultimately and though and there be very little to condemn in a courageous picture that hit it target accurately most of the time and especially thanks to a relentlessly moving central performance . 8 and 5/10 .