"Stop-Loss"

Seen on: March 29, 2008

The players: Director: Kimberly Peirce, Writers: Kimberly Peirce, Mark Richard, Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Timothy Olyphant, Ciaran Hinds

Facts of interest: Pierce also directed the Oscar-winning drama "Boys Don't Cry."

The plot: A soldier refuses to return to duty after the Army orders him back to Iraq for another round of battle. 

Our quick thoughts: Kimberly Peirce’s war drama “Stop-Loss” deserves high praise for its good intentions, but the film lacks the necessary power to fend off its obvious flaws. Over the past seven years, more than 81,000 U.S. soldiers have been “stop-lossed,” which means they have been ordered back to duty even though their agreed period of enlistment has expired.

That’s exactly what happens to Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe), who’s thrilled to return to his small Texas hometown following a bloody tour of duty in Iraq. Refusing to go back to battle, however, Brandon embarks on a risky quest to defend his right to leave the military and plead his case to an influential Washington senator. 

Boasting a solid first half, the movie kicks off with an intense, graphic standoff between Brandon’s men and a group of ruthless gunmen in Iraq. Then the soldiers finally get to enjoy their trip back home, where family and friends have been eagerly awaiting them for months. But the war cannot easily be forgotten, and first signs of post-traumatic stress disorder start to consume some of Brandon’s colleagues.

At this stage, Peirce offers an honest description of returning soldiers struggling to settle back into their normal life after experiencing the brutality of battle. The first 30 minutes of the film are extremely powerful, paying sincere homage to the thousands of troops who fell for their country, were wounded in combat, or made it home safe. But then all of a sudden, the plot shifts direction and plunges into an overemotional mess.

Shortly after Brandon is ordered back to duty and the central theme of the film is introduced, “Stop-Loss” drastically diverts from its main story line, offering audiences something they may not have come to watch. Essentially, the film is supposed to follow Phillippe’s character on his desperate mission to fight the Army’s power to ship back soldiers who are supposed to get out. In the end, however, all Brandon does is pick unnecessary fights with some random thugs, pay a visit to one of his fallen colleague’s family and argue with his best friend Steve (Channing Tatum).

While his actions are certainly remarkable, they fail to advance the story. This is quite unfortunate, because ‘Stop-Loss” includes several remarkable qualities. Peirce’s flawless direction is top-notch and creates a brisk atmosphere and fast-paced plot, while Chris Menges’ stunning cinematography adds a gloomy look to the film. A fitting score by John Powell comes in quite handy as well.

In the lead role of Brandon, Ryan Phillippe offers a decent performance, although I was more impressed by Channing Tatum, who plays Brandon’s war-time buddy and does a far better job at authentically portraying his character. Acting honors however go to Abbie Cornish and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who not only deliver the most plausible performances, but also own the best quotes in the film. 

Freaky quote: "I ain’t scared. This family is done fighting this war!” – Ryan Phillippe

The final word: “Stop-Loss” is worth watching if you are not yet tired of all the war flicks that have come our way over the past years. The film takes a clear stand against the war and the dialogue involves a lot of obvious Bush-bashing, so if that’s what you are looking for in theaters this week, chances are you’ll enjoy it. However, if you hope to see a desperate soldier provoking a real change in the Army’s treatment of some of its soldiers, “Stop-Loss” may not be worth checking out.