In The Valley of Elah is an unusual and rather grim movie but it is totally well acted and written. Chariize Theron* has the female lead as a local cop and wears no make up that you can tell. In fact, the movie color is even washed out to create the place and the mood. Takes place in a West Texas town and is a murder mystery involving soldiers returning from the war in Iraq. Tommy Lee Jones plays a very determined father of a boy, his son, who has been murdered. It's a diamond in the rough of a movie and rough describes how it looks and plays, not diamond. I'm surprised it got made it's so unusual.
*Speaking of this actress, her first movie that I know of- and she IS glamorous in this- is 2 Days In The Valley and it is a complex murder mystery with off beat characters and humor. It, too, qualifies for this category for it's writing. It's crazy original with twists and turns. James Spader of all people plays a ruthless hit man.
