JPF Home Page Forums Creative Arts Forums Acting, Theater, Film and TV Forum "G.A.C." Review: "STOP LOSS"/ Ryan Phillippe/ Channing Tatum

"STOP LOSS" is definitely The Saddest Movie I've seen all-year. BUT, I owe it to the Over 650,000 American Soldiers who've so-far served in Iraq since 1991, to Highly-Recommend you SEE this Movie.
Partly-Because it makes you aware of what 81,000 Soldiers "Stop-Lossed" so far, have "Additionally-Sacrificed."

Militarily, "Stop-Loss" is in essence a "Back-Door Draft". Normally, you sign an (often) 8-Year-Contract when you enlist. It's expected you'll serve 3-4 Years in "Active Duty" and then get processed-out for the last 5-6 years into "Inactive Reserve" Status. UNLESS..In a "Declared War"..your skills are SO-badly-needed the Military CAN, (At Their Whim) call you BACK to "Active Duty Status"..AND ship you right BACK "in Harm's Way"..for ALL 8 Years, if They So Chose.

So..If..after you've survived that One Combat Zone Tour, your only OPTION if "Stop-Lossed" would be to go AWOL & head off to Canada..or some other Country..& leave your Family & Medals behind...Stay a Fugitive..& Adopt a New Identity..while you're labeled a Coward..or worse.

THAT's what SSGT Brandon King (Well-Acted by Ryan Phillippe) has to deal with. But FIRST, Director Kimberly Pierce skillfully puts us all in Tikrit, Iraq, with SSGT King's Squad pursuing a car full of Local Shooters who just sprayed their Roadblock with automatic weapons fire.

The Shooters make it back into a tight, local alleyway...the 50-Cal-equipped pair of Humvees park..& watch rooftops..as King's Men seek House-by-Appartment-House. It ends up being an Ambush Situation.. Al "Preacher" Colson (Terry Quay) is KIA, Rico Rodrigues (Victor Rasuk) takes an RPG in his Humvee, losing his sight, an arm, a leg, major facial burns. Ryan's hometown close friend & fellow SSGT, Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum), helps their patrol survive a floor-by-floor Firefight that's as Realistic as it is Macabre. And THIS was one of SSGT King's LAST Patrols before he & his unit were about end their Tour of Duty & return Stateside...

So..when the dust & carnage finally settles, we're next all-gathered in a small Texas Hometown where the above surviving men, wearing nice neat uniforms now, get a fine parade down Mainstreet, & hear a Senator (Josef Sommer) Orton Worrell, praise the "Hometown Heroes"..& SSGT King gets awarded a Purple Heart & a Bronze Star, for Valor. "Speech..Speech!" yells the adoring crowd...

We then follow The Heroes as they party-down & begin dealing with Apres-Combat Living: Engagements break up..Boozin' does Some Damage..Some guys Re-Enlist..for others..there's Suicide..& the aftermath of Warfare takes its Human Toll.. The Toll we rarely see in a Movie..& just occasionally "hear about" in Real Life.

THAT's the Part of this Movie I think Everyone Should See. (Let's add some later scenes of Rodriquez in-Rehab, & Sgt King visiting "Preacher's" Family, assuring them their son didn't suffer when the enemy bullets ended his life.)

I'll let you guess WHICH Country SSGT King chooses when he ends up being a Fugitive, finding the Senator-Who-Praised-Him WON'T see OR help him in Washington, now that the Manhunt is on.

Assisted by his Sgt-Buddy's sympathetic-Girlfriend, (Abbie Cornish as a Beautifully-Played Michelle), he joins up with other Stop-Loss Fugitives..in-hiding..finally meeting the NYC "Coyote" who can get him into Canada, with a new identity, for a mere "$1000." Sgt King would rather end up in a warmer Mexico, closer to Texas..but Either Place he HAS to sever ALL ties with friends & family..or..if-apprehended, the Army makes An Example of its deserters.

I'd rate this a "7 1/2-Outta-10"...Leave The Kiddies at-home (& Bring a Hanky...Guys & Gals!) We all owe an Hour-&-A-Half to those 4,000 troops who Didn't Make It Back, & my heart goes out to those 646,000 who Did...after seeing This Fairly-Exciting, Well-Filmed Movie.

JMO...Keep-or-Sweepit

Big Hugs (& a Salute!)
Stan

Hmmmm.. I totally missed this movie.. don't remember seeing any ads for it or any buzz about it... would it be depressing to spend all the time and effort to make a movie and not even have most people notice it? And we think the music industry is frustrating?

Brian

Amen, Big Bro!

Alas, we're having Another Unpopular War...

What makes this one Sadder-than-'Nam is all the thoroughly-maimed casualties..who woulda died in the 'Nam Conflict..now being brought back "alive"..& having to get on with what's-left of their lives..& selves.

And..as this movie pointed out..the Un-Maimed Ones get readily-recycled at the Military's Whim..under the Guise that "they knew what they signed up for"...

Heard the other day that Lower-Eschelon Guys..like SSGTs (E-6 & below) had a "126% Chance of Mental Problems" after their 3rd Tour over there in a row..& the Military is "rethinking the amount of time spent 'recovering' with their families before they get re-sent back to a Combat Zone."

Amen to that, too!

Best Wishes & a Big Guy-Hug,
Stan