Stop-Loss (2008)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Kimberly Peirce

Writers (WGA):

Mark Richard (written by) &
Kimberly Peirce (written by)

Release Date:

28 March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The bravest place to stand is by each other's side.

Plot:

A veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.

Plot Keywords:

Honor | Texas | Iraq War | Headlock | Fugitive

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Ryan Phillippe	...	SSgt. Brandon King
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Tommy Burgess
Rob Brown	...	Isaac 'Eyeball' Butler
Channing Tatum	...	Sgt. Steve Shriver
Victor Rasuk	...	Pvt. Rico Rodriguez
Terry Quay	...	Al 'Preacher' Colson
Matthew Scott Wilcox	...	Harvey 'Rabbit' Lankford
Connett Brewer	...	Curtis (as Connett M. Brewer)
Timothy Olyphant	...	Lt. Col. Boot Miller
Josef Sommer	...	Senator Orton Worrell
Linda Emond	...	Ida King
Ciarán Hinds	...	Roy King
Mamie Gummer	...	Jeanie
Abbie Cornish	...	Michelle
Alex Frost	...	Shorty Shriver

Also Known As:

Untitled Kimberly Peirce Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic violence and pervasive language. (re-rating; originally also some strong sexuality)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | USA:R (certificate #43629) | Australia:MA | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The title refers to a provision in all military service contracts that says a service member can be involuntarily extended beyond their discharge (from active duty) date, and at times beyond their final discharge from service date, according to the needs of the service.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Sgt. Kings flight from base after receiving his stop loss, he pulls his jeep up to a small house surrounded by a rickety wooden and wire fence. As he begins to jump the fence, the camera cuts to a new angle and the fence miraculously changes to a much sturdier (and taller) chain link fence.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Brandon King: With the shortage of guys and no draft, they're shipping back soldiers who's supposed to be gettin' out.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-04-02)" (2008)

A Noble Effort

Well intentioned, this film tells the fictional story of Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe), an American soldier who, after successfully completing a heroic but horrendous tour of duty in Iraq, is notified that, despite his wishes, he must return to Iraq for yet more combat duty, a real-life contingency called "stop-loss". It's a fate that neither King, nor real-life soldiers, want or deserve, but which the U.S. government justifies in lieu of a wartime draft.

The film's first few minutes provide a montage of images and scenes showing King, and his men, in Iraq, as they bond together as protective buddies, and as they endure a violent urban ambush, during which several buddies get killed or seriously wounded.

Back home in Texas, King and a couple of his men briefly celebrate their hero status. But life for them quickly deteriorates, as their wartime trauma leaves both physical and mental scars. And then, King gets his "stop-loss" notice. This sets up the rest of the film's plot.

The theme here is obvious. The brave soldier, having endured more than enough danger and trauma, is still just a powerless individual. As such, he or she is caught between having to resubmit to the horrors of war, or submit to a perilous and life-altering AWOL status in the U.S., or elsewhere, forever on the run from an overpowering American political system. It's a timely and worthy subject for a film.

That much effort and care went into the creation of the film, from background research to attention to detail in costumes, production design, and military protocol is obvious.

And the film's color cinematography also is quite good. There are lots of close-ups, to get a feel for what the characters are going through. Many scenes feature natural lighting, used in clever ways. At times, the film has an almost documentary look and feel. Acting is overall credible. I especially liked the performances of Linda Emond, as King's mom, and Abbie Cornish, as a young woman who tries to help King.

The major problem is the script. Characters are rather stereotyped and two-dimensional. The plot is fairly predictable. And the story and its attendant theme are a tad too direct. I could have wished for a little more depth, and a plot twist or two. The film's ending is not very satisfying.

Yet, "Stop-Loss" is a noble effort to document the brutality not only of war but also of an American government that uses, then basically throws away, people, to ensure the preservation of an American war industry and continued power of faceless bureaucrats and corrupt politicians.