STOP-LOSS

Kimberly Peirce Written by: Mark Richard, Kimberly Peirce Starring: Ryan Phillipe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rob Brown, Channing Tatum, Victor Rasuk, Abbie Cornish, Timothy Olyphant, Josef Sommer, Linda Emond, Ciaran Hinds Distributed by Paramount Pictures Film was released on March 12th in the U.S. and on April 25th in the U.K. Review by Ray DeRousse

rating: 3

Ugh. This is going to be a detailed review. I apologize in advance. Let me get the politics out of the way in the opening sentence: I am an American, and completely against the American military operation in effect since September 11, 2001. In fact, I often apologize to those I meet from Europe and other parts of the world simply out of embarrassment for the so-called "war on terror" that the terrorists in the White House continue to wage in the sullied name of "democracy." My politics - combined with my inability to keep my mouth shut - have often set me at odds with my war-mongering fellows. One night at a bar, I had the privilege to meet a 19 year old (the brother of a female friend) who was on a one week leave from Iraq. After several beers, I began to speak quite abusively of the government's actions in Iraq; in retrospect, I am surprised that Homeland Security agents didn't rappel down through the windows from hovering Apache helicopters. Anyway, the young soldier there that night grabbed me and took me into a secluded corner of the bar. With wild, piercing blue eyes, he began to methodically tell me how he shot seventeen people in Iraq. He has seen death more times than I can imagine. He told me that he never sleeps through a night; invariably, the nightmares come. And despite all of that, he wanted to go back to Iraq. When I asked him why - actually, it was more like begging him to reconsider - he told me that he felt like he HAD to go back in order to preserve the freedom that I so liberally enjoy every day. I looked into this promising young man's face, and all I could feel is emptiness. Such is the psychotic uselessness of it all. I wish someone would shoot Bush for carelessly turning beautiful young men and women into cheap, discarded hamburger. Movies like Stop-Loss tend to stir such emotions based on their politics, even when their dramatic centers are off-base. The movie stars Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, and Joseph Gordon-Levittas three Texan officers coming home after a tour of duty in Iraq. The opening sequence is harrowing, as we follow these young men into the alleyways of Iraq to combat faceless snipers. After losing several men, the boys return home to a hero's welcome. Unfortunately, all three have changed in fundamental ways due to their experiences. Their recuperation is cut short when the army exercises its stop-loss option, a controversial measure which sends dismissed officers back onto the field of battle. Brandon King, played by Phillippe, refuses to go back, setting off a chain of events that culminates in a deflating and sour ending. Phillippe is outstanding throughout most of his performance. He was always a pretty boy, but here Phillippe allows himself to get dirty and showcase rawer, less-pleasant emotions. It's nice to see him grow out of the "look at my abs and ass" stage of his career, and focus instead on meatier roles. Gordon-Levitt, barely recognizable from his youthful roles on Third Rock From The Sun, continues to impress. Here, he has a thankless and completely obvious role, yet he manages to salvage the character's dignity with some powerful, silent acting. And Tatum, an imposing physical presence, has long been the heir apparent to Phillippe's mimbo throne. But here he shows an honest depth, believably playing a man torn by friendship and duty. His speech to a grieving widow late in the film is easily his best work thus far in his career. Other cast members acquit themselves well, in particular Victor Rasuk as Rico. He begins the film as a cocky Latino soldier, but by the end of the movie he turns the character into an inspirational one. Abbie Cornish has the best-written character in the film as Tatum's girlfriend Michelle, and she does not disappoint. I would also add that Linda Emond, who plays Phillippe's mother Ida, gives a look at the end of the film that is destined to break any parent's heart. The moment ranks right up there with Maia Morgenstern's empty grief at the end of The Passion in terms of power and helplessness. Director Kimberley Pierce moves the film along nicely, incorporating some gritty flashbacks that allow us access to what the soldiers see in their heads. Unfortunately, the film, as written by Mark Richardand Pierce, plays out like a St. Elmo's Fire version of the War On Terror. Much like that overblown Joel Schumacher yuppie-fest, this movie puts its cast of beautiful actors into contrived confrontations that seem a bit too Hollywood for its subject matter. The Iraq war is still a raw nerve in the public consciousness, yet the film plays out like a soap opera. It reminded me of the AIDS movie The Cure with Joseph Mazzello and Brad Renfro - well meaning and treacly at the same time. But no matter how good the intentions, this Iraq situation - and the young people involved in it - deserve something more probing, more outraged ... and ultimately, more honest.