Charlize Theron enters the story when Deerfield goes to the police for help. She plays Emily Sanders, the only female detective on the squad, and takes a lot of crap about her gender and her relationship with their boss. She’s a single mom trying to find her way, and the last thing she needs is to get tied up with Deerfield’s problems — especially with the US Army waiting to shut the investigation down at any moment.

The movie takes some surprising twists and turns along the way to the resolution of Michael’s disappearance and who was actually involved. I loved the way Deerfield breaks his “cover” as a quiet, concerned father and becomes a crusading investigator, and I also feared for him when he lost control and endangered the case and their pursuit of the truth.

Throughout the film, no one ever loses sight of the characters. As much time is given to the development of the characters as to the development of the investigation. Deerfield’s character is great, and Jones plays him to a T. There’s one scene in the laundry where Deerfield is washing his clothes that my wife didn’t understand. Deerfield was sitting in his undershirt waiting for his clothes to dry and spots Emily coming to talk to him. He hurriedly gets up and pulls a wet shirt out of the dryer and puts it on. I had to explain to my wife that Deerfield is the kind of man who wouldn’t allow himself to be seen in his undershirt by a woman not his wife.

The Blu-ray disc is packed full of extras relating to the movie. If you’ve got loved ones overseas, this movie can be hard to view on several levels. However, it might also give you a deep appreciation for what they’re doing and what the real cost of the war is going to be.

One of the best scenes in the movie is when Deerfield is telling Emily’s son the story of David and Goliath, to let him know where his name came from. Later, at the end of the movie, Emily is telling her son the same story because he wants to hear it again. This time her son asks her why all the soldiers let a boy go fight their war for them. After everything that’s been revealed in the movie, that question resonates for a long time.

This is a fantastic film enhanced by tremendous acting. Paul Haggis (Crash, Flags of Our Fathers, Casino Royale) wrote and directed.