Stop-Loss Review
Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 03.31.2008
Wait...this is an MTV Film? Really?
Directed By: Kimberly Peirce
Starring: Ryan Phillippe - Sgt. Brandon Leonard King Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Tommy Burgess Rob Brown - Isaac "Eyeball" Butler Channing Tatum - Steve Shriver Victor Rasuk - Rico Ridriguez Abbie Cornish - Michelle King Terry Quay - Al "Preacher" Colson Matthew Scott Wilcox - Harvey Timothy Olyphant - Lt. Col. Boot Miller Josef Sommer - Senator Orton Worrell Linda Emond - Ida King Ciarán Hinds - Roy King Mamie Gummer - Jeanie Alex Frost - Shorty
Rated R for graphic violence and pervasive language.
The war in Iraq is, in many ways, THE relevant issue facing Americans in the 21st century. Hotly debated since it began five years ago, it hangs over America in almost every facet of life. One of the more controversial topics of the war is the stop-loss policy, a form of military conscription covered in Kimberly Pierce's new film Stop-Loss. Headlined by a surprisingly adept cast and dealing with a weighty issue like this, it's often difficult to remember while watching that this is an MTV film. Mainly, that's because it manages to be entertaining and thought-provoking all in one.
Brandon King (Phillippe), a sergeant deployed in Iraq, has finished with his tour of duty and is sent back home to small-town Texas. Coming home with him are his childhood friends Steve Shriver (Tatum) and Tommy Burgess (Gordon-Levitt). Hailed as heroes upon their arrival, they're welcomed back by--among others--Brandon's parents, their senator, and Michelle (Cornish), Steve's long-time fiancée and a friend of the King family.
Despite the happy welcome home, the effect of the war, and in particular their last, brutal battle in a Tikrit alleyway, is starting to show on the threesome. While Tommy is only on leave, Brandon and Steve have served their time and are more then finished...unfortunately, the war has come home with them. After a night of partying, Steve hits Michelle and, flashing back to the battlefield, climbs into the foxhole he's dug on the front lawn to pass out. Tommy's brand-new marriage is falling apart due to his heavy drinking. Brandon wants to go back to civilian life, but when he makes his last return to the base to turn in his gear, he's informed that he's going back to Iraq. The term is stop-loss; condemned in real life by no less them 2004 Presidential candidate John Kerry as a "backdoor draft", it allows the army to extend a soldier's enlistment against their will. Horrified by the possibility of going back to the place that's destroyed him and his friends, Brandon goes AWOL, stunning Steve. Michelle, seeing the effect the war's had on them all, agrees to help him, as he tries to get to Washington in order to plead with his senator for help.
Pierce's last film, Boys Don't Cry, was a highly personal and emotional story that showed a strong level of skill at depicting small-town life, and all those factors can be seen in this, her second film effort. Pierce shows an obvious respect for the returned soldiers--she wrote the screenplay, inspired by her brother's experiences with the stop-loss policy. While it is a fairly blistering condemnation of the military and the stop-loss policy, it doesn't fall into the trap of going with the simplistic "Military bad, war bad, soldiers killers" pap that Hollywood can tend to put out. She treats Brandon, Steve, and Tommy with sincerity and respect, and it can be seen throughout the film. She does try too hard at times. Between the three soldiers, you get almost every post-tour trauma imaginable--PTSD, alcoholism, depression, flashbacks, rage, and so on. It's a shot against an otherwise very credible writing and directing job.
The actors playing the trio are exceptional. Seeing the trailer, it's easy to imagine that they were cast in the film to appeal to the young female crowd--Phillippe, Gordon-Levitt, and Tatum are undoubtedly easy on the eyes. But it would be a disservice to the actors to dismiss the casting based on that. Phillippe has been building his credibility as an actor slowly but surely, with recent roles in Crash, Flags of our Fathers, and his underrated performance in the equally-underrated Breach last year. As Brandon, he gives a knock-out performance, capturing Brandon's psychological issues and justifiable anger at being forced to come back to a place that devastated him. Likewise, Gordon-Levitt--whose indy cred has been pushed through the roof with his transition from Third Rock From the Sun into films like 2005's Brick and last year's The Lookout--lets inner demons loose as Tommy. Even Channing Tatum, Mr. Step Up 2 the Streets, shows some serious acting chops as the lone member of the three who wants to go back, to give him a place he can belong again. Abbie Cornish does well in a surprisingly complex military wife role as Michelle. The rest of the cast is quite good as well.
The film was marketed as being an MTV Films production, a studio best known for brain-dead films that appeal to the teen/young adult crowd like Jackass, Save the Last Dance, and Blades of Glory. The MTV feel is evident in Stop-Loss, mostly in the slick production style. However, that's where the connection ends. This is a strong, thought-provoking drama, the kind you wouldn't expect out of the same company responsible for The Hills. The film does have its faults...some of the moments are overdone, and Pierce sometimes doesn't know when to step back and let the story tell itself. A scene where Brandon tells his commanding officer "With all due respect, f**k the president!", then punches out his captors on the way to going AWOL stretches the bounds of reality. And the ending is a bit convoluted, as Pierce doesn't seem what to know what to do with Brandon. These are relatively minor quibbles in the face of the entirety though, and the film ultimately holds its own as one of the best Iraq war-based movies to come out to date.
The 411: Audiences have been subjected to a multitude of Iraqi war films over the past few years, but have yet to find one that is both quality and accessible. With Stop-Loss providing a good script and better acting, they may have finally found it. It's not a perfect film, and strays into melodrama a couple of times, but Phillippe, Gordon-Levitt, and Tatum lift the material into something that is both enjoyable and thought-provoking. Searing against the military yet reverent of soldiers, Stop-Loss is a film that delivers.
Oh yeah, and it's total crap. I'm an active duty solider and this shit don't
happen at all.
Stop Loss and Stop Movement effect units not individuals.
Every solider who enlists has an eight year commitment, reguardless of his
contract- after doing 2 to 4 years they get out but are subject to being called
out of the 'ready reserve' at any given time, during the remainder of the eight
years.
This movie it total crap by people who have never been in the military or in
war.
Not saying that you shouldnt see it- but that keep it in mind when you do.
Posted By: The Spook (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 11:29 AM
"Every solider who enlists has an eight year commitment, reguardless of
his
contract- after doing 2 to 4 years they get out but are subject to being
called
out of the 'ready reserve' at any given time, during the remainder of the
eight
years."
Um, that's what the movie is about.
Posted By: EricG (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Hey Eric, if thats what the movie is about then why call it stop loss? Stop loss
is not something that happens to a soldier right after they return home from a
deployment- stop loss happens to a unit that has orders to deploy, so to stop
the loss of soliders right before that deployment.
Being called out of ready reserve means you have to be out of the military and
called back in- this movie is not about that.
The movie is crap and does a deservice for soldiers and marines by confusing
the issue of stop loss.
Posted By: The Spook (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Actually, IF your descripiton si acurate, the disservice would be to the
military themselves, not the soliders and marines, who I mistakenly thought
were soldiers too until your completely accurate post.
Posted By: AdamS (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 03:40 PM
"Being called out of ready reserve means you have to be out of the military
and called back in- this movie is not about that.
The movie is crap and does a deservice for soldiers and marines by confusing
the issue of stop loss."
I'm actually curious as to whether you've seen the movie, or if you're just
basing your opinion on the plot summary presented here and elsewhere.
Posted By: Jeremy Thomas (Registered) on March 31, 2008 at 03:45 PM
Yeah I saw the movie a few months ago at a film festival.
I am also an active duty soilder, seven years in the Army, 2 tours to Iraq, and
a six month stint in Afganastan.
If you go seet his moive, and I'm not telling you not too, what you see is
complete bullshit.
An individual soldier, or marine -whatever, can only be affected by stop loss
if his unit is fixing to deploy (which they usually know six months to a year
out), or if their MOS (Military Occupational Specialization) is at a critically
low number.
All soldiers know when they sign an enlistment contract, that they are commited
to eight years of federal service. They may only serve four years active, but
the remaining four they can be called up if their MOS is in critical demand.
(This does happen).
This movie does not show either or these things.
So to show soldiers acting out against lawful orders, and made to look like
heros is crap. Its a slap in the face of all the soldiers who are fighting a
war that is unpopular and are still bound by the laws of the government- which
is do you service until you service is complete.
This movie does not represent that.
Posted By: The Spook (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 05:23 PM
Its funny, I was almost hit by stop loss (They enacted it a month after I got
out) and I was never called back in. A year after my seperation, 9-11 happen
and I eventually re enlisted. Stop Loss has been going on since the Clinton
Administration, if not before. I find it ironic now the media is making a big
deal out of it. (The year 2000 the Air Force was hurting for tech jobs at the
peek of the tech bubble, so they enacted stop loss.)
Posted By: Chris (Guest) on March 31, 2008 at 11:44 PM
