ShareThisBox-office figures prove that American moviegoers so far haven't been interested in feature films dealing with the Iraq War or antiterrorism efforts. Maybe that's because people go to the multiplexes for escape, and even a fictional depiction of war seems too real.It also could be because those films just weren't very good. Who cares if Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal star in "Rendition" if the movie itself is ponderous and preachy?"Stop-Loss" could and should win viewers over. It's the opposite of dull, and it focuses on the humanity of the situation, not the politics. Its impact is immediate and emphatic.The story begins with a squad of U.S. soldiers wrapping up its tour in Iraq. Lively video shot by the men themselves paints a picture of their life -- jokes, roughhousing and then checkpoint duty in Tikrit that winds up in a deadly shootout on a narrow residential street.Squad leader Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) and his best friend, Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum), survive the skirmish and soon are shipped home to the small town of Brazos, Texas, where they're welcomed as heroes. They, along with pals Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Isaac "Eyeball" Butler (Rob Brown), are relieved finally to cut loose.However, it becomes clear that the war is still with them, and gulping down mass quantities of alcohol doesn't help. Steve digs a foxhole in his front yard and scares his fiancee, Michele (Abbie Cornish). Tommy's wife, Jeanie (Mamie Gummer), kicks him out because she can't handle his roller coaster of emotions. Brandon is haunted by flashbacks of the fight in Tikrit and the men he lost.After decompressing with his buddies on his family's ranch, Brandon heads to the nearby base to get his discharge papers. He's stunned to learn that the Army has "stop-lossed" him and is ordering him to return to Iraq. Brandon, a straight-arrow patriot who takes his responsibilities seriously, balks. He believes he has fulfilled his obligation to the Army, and the Army should hold up its end and let him out.With Michele as his unlikely ally, Brandon sets out on a quest that pulls the curtain back on a controversial military policy.Phillippe, Cornish, Tatum and Gordon-Levitt make deep impressions as young people dealing with profound issues. The film's biggest flaw lies in failing to make the most of such fine actors as Brown, Ciaran Hinds as Brandon's father, Timothy Olyphant as Lt. Col. Miller and Victor Rasuk as Rico."Stop-Loss" feels like the real deal in every aspect, from its depiction of soldier bonding to the confusion of urban battle to the uneasy transition back to civilian life. Director Kimberly Peirce, who co-wrote the script with Mark Richard, creates a highly charged atmosphere that crackles with the emotions of the soldiers and their families.Although one would expect a Hollywood film to slant the argument against the stop-loss policy, the movie isn't one-sided. The characters fall left, right and middle. What holds them, and "Stop-Loss," together are a strong sense of patriotism and the unbreakable bonds of fellow soldiers.Rated R for graphic violence and pervasive language.4.5 stars (out of five)(Contact Betsy Pickle, film critic at The Knoxville News Sentinel, at pickle(at)knews.com)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
A good film about the Iraq War that isn't one-sided
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