Paul Haggis, the co-writer and director of the volatile Crash, essays the toll of the Iraq war in In the Valley of Elah.
That premise suggests horrific combat scenes and explosive emotions among a range of characters, all caught with the intense close-ups and jerky editing rhythms that propelled Crash.
Yet Haggis’ new film, which is set almost entirely stateside, is slow, somber and discreetly framed. It takes its cue from its central character, a retired Army sergeant who served in the military police and for whom ironclad control is first nature.
Tommy Lee Jones pours his underspoken authority into the painful role of Hank Deerfield, an unapologetic patriot who will interrupt an important errand to see that an incorrectly displayed American flag is flown properly.
On December 10, 2006, singer-actor André Benjamin of Outkast fame donned a cardboard turtle suit and joined a group of fellow “protesters” on the streets of Seattle. Seven years before, tens of thousands of real demonstrators had descended upon the Seattle Convention Center and surrounding hotels to protest the actions of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The turtle-clad demonstrators — whose costumes highlighted the plight of turtles killed by shrimp nets — joined other anti-globalization vocalists and rallied against the leaders of the WTO, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank in sometimes violent clashes with police. Benjamin’s participation in the re-enactment of the events of November 30, 1999, was for Battle in Seattle, a feature film by first-time helmer Stuart Townsend (perhaps best known for his role as Lestat in Queen of the Damned that stars an ensemble cast including Woody Harrelson, Michelle Rodriguez, and Martin Henderson, as well as Townsend’s long-term girlfriend, Academy Award–winner Charlize Theron.
Oscar-winner Charlize Theron has shown a range of talent acting in thrillers and in movies on social issues but her latest film about the Iraq war reveals another side to the actress — her political awareness.
Theron, 32, won the best actress Oscar of 2005 for playing a female serial killer in “Monster,” and her new movie, “In the Valley of Elah,” which opened last week, looks at the impact of the Iraq war on returning soldiers and their families.
The South African actress, who also acquired U.S. citizenship this year, took some time to talk to Reuters about the movie and her interest in politics and social issues:
A great big “thank you” goes out to Jess for making us the featured site at Nicole’s Magic this month. If you aren’t familiar with the site, then you should definitely head on over and check it out because it is a fantastic site dedicated to the lovely Nicole Kidman. 
Charlize Theron plays another put upon working woman in In the Valley of Elah. The only female detective in a police precinct, her character, Det. Sanders, faces sexism and resistance from her colleagues and superiors. She colors her hair dark and wears long sleeves and pants to cover her fabulous curves, but it’s not about how she looks.
“Paul [Haggis] and I talked a little bit when we started to talk about Sanders. I said to Paul, ‘People make such a big deal about it. The irony of it is when it comes to finding a character for me, it’s just about the facts.’ You look at this woman, so it’s not about how can we make me look different? I think the great thing about being an actor, it’s not about that. It’s about how do we get access to the truth. To me, that’s always the biggest question whether it’s where is the scene going or how do I physically look or how are we going to facilitate Paul in telling this story correctly.”
ThinkFilm has won the battle for “Battle in Seattle,” acquiring all U.S. rights for about $2 million.
“Battle,” which sports an all-star ensemble led by Charlize Theron, had its world premiere Saturday night at the Toronto International Film Festival and marks Stuart Townsend’s directorial debut. The film is set amid the protests and riots that surrounded the World Trade Organization’s 1999 meeting in Seattle.
The deal was ThinkFilm’s second buy at Toronto this year. It scored the biggest sale of the fest’s opening days when it picked up “Then She Found Me,” Helen Hunt’s directorial debut, taking U.S. distribution rights for slightly less than $2 million.
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Photos of Charlize and Stuart at the ‘In the Valley of Elah’ premiere are now available in the gallery. Enjoy!
I finally found the ‘Battle in Seattle’ portraits from the Toronto Film Festival on September 9th and they are now available in the gallery (please be sure to register/log in to view). I’m sure you’re probably all seen them somewhere online by now, but if not, you have to check them out because they are gorgeous.
Stuart Townsend and Charlize Theron are husband and wife – even if not legally.
“I’m married,” Townsend told PEOPLE this week. “I didn’t do a church wedding or anything, but we’re married. We’re husband and wife.”
“We love each other and we want to spend our lives together,” the 34-year-old actor said about his nearly seven-year relationship with Theron, 32, who he calls “the greatest woman I’ve ever met.”
“We didn’t have a ceremony,” he added. “I don’t need a certificate or the state or the church to say otherwise. So no there’s no big official story on a wedding, but we are married. … I consider her my wife and she considers me her husband.”
The couple, who met on the set of Trapped, were at the Toronto Film Festival to premiere Townsend’s writing and directorial debut film, Battle in Seattle, a dramatized look at the 1999 World Trade Organization convention and the protests that overtook the city of Seattle and caused a state of emergency. Theron also stars in the film.
During a dinner party at The Supper Club, the couple even showed off their rings – Theron fidgeted with hers as she shared a story about it and then grabbed Townsend’s hand to display a silver cross-shaped band on his ring finger.
“It was really amazing tonight to premiere the film with her,” Townsend said. “She’s proud and she was crying, so it’s as important to her as it’s important to me. We’re a team and we’re in this together. That’s what you do. You look out for each other.”
Source: people.com
