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IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON A riveting documentary that unfortunately tapers off significantly during its second hour, In the Shadow of the Moon is a timely film that instills a sense of American pride at a period in our history when the current administration has poisoned our reputation around the world and even among half of our own populace. Its focus is NASA's Apollo program that, between 1968 and 1972, sent nine rocketships to the moon. The spirit of John F. Kennedy hangs over the entire film, as it was his drive that largely inspired America to set its sights on outer space; one astronaut states that JFK was either a visionary, a dreamer or politically astute, before concluding that he was probably all three. Interviews with 10 Apollo astronauts provide the narrative thrust, combining with awe-inspiring shots taken from the various Apollo spacecraft as well as other little-seen NASA footage from history's archives. As expected, the bulk of the movie centers on the Apollo 11 mission manned by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins – it's a thrill to revisit the events surrounding the historic moment when Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon's surface. From there, the movie rushes through the other Apollo missions – the ill-fated Apollo 13 voyage earns some extra minutes, but not enough (presumably, the makers figured everyone's seen the Ron Howard-Tim Hanks drama Apollo 13) – and the film becomes progressively scattershot as it tries to wrap up (comments by the astronauts about our planet's fragile environment feel like outtakes from The 11th Hour). Overall, though, this is a rousing achievement that makes us wish we could once again reach for – and touch – the stars. ***
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH Writer-director Paul Haggis will forever be lambasted in many circles because Crash unfairly shanghaied Brokeback Mountain at the Oscars. But those quick to write him off as a pandering huckster tend to forget that he also penned the exquisite screenplays to two Clint Eastwood triumphs, Million Dollar Baby and Letters from Iwo Jima. It's that Paul Haggis who shows up with this powerful drama that employs a murder-mystery template to camouflage what ultimately proves to be the picture's true intent: Examine the repercussions of war on the psyches of the youngsters we ask (or order) to defend us in battle. Tommy Lee Jones, in a superlative performance, stars as Hank Deerfield, a retired officer trying to find out why his son went AWOL upon returning from a tour of duty in Iraq. Once it's ascertained that the boy was murdered, the morose father teams up with an equally glum detective (Charlize Theron) to solve the case. On its own terms, the mystery is presented in a satisfying matter, and only those expecting an elaborate Agatha Christie-style unmasking of the killer will be disappointed in this aspect of the story, which wraps up well before the actual movie does. Clearly, Haggis' main story is about the toll that the Iraq War – and, by extension, all battles, especially those (like Iraq) created for bogus reasons – takes not only on the soldiers sent to participate in the bloodshed but also on their families and friends. The film attempts to depict the manner in which the specter of war can follow a soldier back to civilization and inform every subsequent decision and action, and Haggis should be saluted for taking this angle further than most. ***1/2
THE KINGDOM Overshadowed by another current movie focusing on Middle Eastern tensions (In the Valley of Elah), this is basically a Rambo retread outfitted with a thin veneer of topical import. Director Peter Berg appears to be an American apologist at heart, which may explain why, after a fascinating title sequence illustrating the United States' complicated ties to Saudi Arabia (and, of course, its riches), the movie quickly devolves into a standard us-against-them revenge flick. The film opens with a shocking sequence in which a base for American families in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is destroyed by terrorists, thereby prompting a group of elite FBI agents to undergo a secret mission to find the culprits once the Saudi and U.S. governments both balk at creating an international incident. The four agents (Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) are devoid of much in the way of personality, but that's OK: Their only purpose in this story is to kill Middle Easterners. Lots of them. The message of this 110-minute movie is revealed in its very last line, meaning it arrives about 100 minutes too late. Because of this lack of clear intent, the picture has no choice except to work as a visual and aural assault on our senses. In that respect, it succeeds in much the same way as The Brave One, as a cathartic palate cleanser that allows us to watch bad guys plowed down without sullying our own hands. There's a sympathetic Saudi officer (Ashraf Barhoum, very good) who, by providing the few moments of warmth, might diffuse arguments that Berg's movie isn't anti-terrorist but anti-Middle East – a huge difference, for those who didn't realize. **1/2