The Impact of War
Career military veteran Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) and his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon) are happy to know their son Mike (Jonathan Tucker) is safely back in the USA after 18 months serving in Iraq. But their joy turns to confusion and concern when Hank is called by Mike's commanding officer to say that Mike is AWOL from the base in New Mexico.
Knowing how uncharacteristic that would have been for Mike, Hank Deerfield heads to New Mexico to find out what is going on. A day later, Mike's body is found in the desert, burned and cut into pieces.
Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) has begun working the case but Lt. Kirklander (Jason Patric) decides the crime was committed on military property and therefore falls under the jurisdiction of the US Government rather than the local police. Sander's boss, Chief Buchwald (Josh Brolin), is happy to be rid of the case and he and other officers on his staff scoff at Sanders' interest in being involved in the investigation.
Deerfield hits a wall of frustration in trying to deal with Kirklander and Kirklander's obvious intention of not doing much to solve the case, so Deerfield solicites the help of Detective Sanders to unravel the complicated situation that lead to the death of his son.
Mike's buddies -- Corporal Penning (Wes Chatham), Spc. Bonner (Jake McLaughlin), Spc. Long (Mehcad Brooks) and Pvt. Ortiz (Victor Wolf) -- are questioned and Deerfield and Saunders continue to probe deeper and deeper into the horrors of war and post-traumatic shock syndrome.
Screenplay and directed by Paul Haggis; based on a true incident.
Rated R for violent and disturbing content, language and some sexuality/nudity.
My personal rating: B
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