"In the Valley of Elah"

Go out and rent this movie. Now! I re-watched "In the Valley of Elah" again and I think I could watch it over and over, always a sign of a good movie. I didn't hear much about this 2007 flick until Tommy Lee Jones was nominated for an Oscar for this instead of "No Country for Old Men." I made a note to rent it later and happened to rent it with "No Country." While both deal with journeys, investigations and changing society, I think "Elah" will hold up better on repeated viewing and in the future. If you thought "No Country" was OK, then you'll probably really like "Elah." The plot involves mystery, family drama, military vs. townies and actually has some good humor, too. Tommy Lee Jones' character takes it upon himself to investigate his Army son's disappearance after returning from Iraq, with the help of Charlize Theron's character, a cop trying to prove herself. It was written and directed by Paul Haggis of "Crash" fame. *****