In the Valley of Elah

Movie: 4 STARS Extras: 3 STARS

(Warner, $27.98)

With “Elah” and “No Country for Old Men,” Tommy Lee Jones had a career-defining year, delivering two complex performances so full of grit, vulnerability and moral outrage that his craggy old mug ought to be on a nickel. A former military police investigator, Jones searches for his soldier son who goes AWOL just days after returning from Iraq. Director Paul Haggis (“Crash”) has an unwavering hand, offering eloquent simplicity in his handling of both the feature and the DVD extras, which include a look at the challenges awaiting Iraq war vets.

Michael Clayton

Movie: 3 ½ STARS Extras: 3 STARS

(Warner, $28.98)

Lawyers: You can’t live with ’em – pass the beer nuts. As an attorney/fixer for a corporate law firm, George Clooney has surrendered his quick wit and extensive contacts to the interests of the moneyed elite. It’s an old trope, but in his directing debut, Tony Gilroy (writer of the “Bourne” franchise) captures his anguish with stark clarity. His understanding of character motivation is made explicit in the engaging commentary track.

Lust, Caution

(Universal, $29.98)

In his first Chinese-

language feature since “Crouching Tiger, HiddenDragon,” Ang Lee directs a steamy romance set against a backdrop of political intrigue.

Rendition

(New Line, $28.98)

Reese Witherspoon and

Jake Gyllenhaal star in an unsubtle look at American interrogation practices in the wake of 9/11.