Warner Independent Pictures and Nala Films present a 124 minute R rated film directed by Paul Haggis and starring Tommy Lee Jones (Hank Deerfield), Charlize Theron (Detective Emily Sanders), Jason Patric (Lt. Kirklander), Susan Sarandon (Joan Deerfield), James Franco (Sgt. Dan Carnelli), Barry Corbin (Arnold Bickman), Josh Brolin (Chief Buchwald), Frances Fisher (Evie), Wes Chatham (Corporal Steve Penning), Jake McLaughlin (Spc. Gordon Bonner), Mehcad Brooks (Spc. Ennis Long), Jonathan Tucker (Mike Deerfield), Wayne Duvall (Detective Nugent), Victor Wolf (Private Robert Ortiez) Devin Brochu (David Sanders) and Brent Briscoe (Detective Hodge).
Did you know that flying the American flag upside down is a sign of national distress? If you did not, you will after experiencing this somewhat long but brilliantly directed, written and acted film. On November 1, 2004 at Fort Rudd, Mike Deerfield has turned up missing after his return from tour of duty in Iraq. His father, Hank, an ex-military Sergeant, goes looking for clues of his son's whereabouts. When the army tends not to be of any sufficient help, he seeks the assistance of the Bradford police department. Hank meets Detective Sanders, great acting by Theron, who happens to not only be dealing with prejudice at her station from male colleagues but that of a desk load of local cases. One in particular involving a woman complaining about her partner drowning their family dog in the bath tub. We all know where that leads! A large percentage of the time when abuse in a household involves animals it is not long before it leads to human fatalities.
A body is found, butchered, burned and somewhat devoured by animals on military land but after a struggle with the military jurisdiction, Emily along with Hank, prove the body which happens to be that of his son was killed on civilian soil than dragged on to military land in the desert. Hank along with Emily set out to find the murderer of Michael Deerfield and along the way find clues that lead up to the most unexpected scenarios. Paths are traced, questions are asked and evidence eventually turns up in the most peculiar of areas. A cameo by a personal acquaintance of mine, Frances Fisher, reveals a bit more than I needed to see. I guess that and many other scenes helped attribute to the R rating.
Stories are told by many of the characters, some that make sense and others that lead to more mysteries. In the end there seems to be one consensus that Iraq is truly hell on earth leading to a slight audience applause when suggested to let it turn back into dust. The last place a mother really wants to send her son is war. In the scene that Joan Deerfield sees her son's remains for the first time no words need be spoken since her eyes tell the depth of a mothers pain over the loss of yet another one of her sons. Albeit a small but beneficial role, Sarandon, was magnificent.
As in the story of David and Goliath in the valley of Elah, it is conquering ones fear which leads to victory and in this case the truth. In war it is react or die and Michael Deerfield along with his comrades Bonner, Penning and Long discovered that on October 31, 2004 sometimes the mind can conquer fear which leads to all the wrong reactions. Many are falsely accused, plot twists ensue throughout the story and characters are portrayed doing stupid things as a way to cope with life and death whether of persons they do or do not know. In the end of the film, a package that arrived for Hank from his son Mike reads "For Dad, Love Mike". Even when a son or daughter returns from war are they ever truly home again? As the final song, "Lost", by Annie Lennox plays over the credits you truly get the senseless meaning behind the word, "WAR" and the distress it scars into the souls of the average American family.
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.