STOP-LOSS
Directed by: 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
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.
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Interesting thoughts. What I feel though is that these movies - in fact, Hollywood as a whole - will never be able to do a totally credible job of tackling not only the Iraq occupation, but other post-9/11 “War on Terror” conflicts. It is a raw event, the repercussions of which will echo on for centuries.
It’s hard to articulate, but I feel that even if there are good intentions in these movies, they’ll always struggle to rise above the level of soap opera or not-absolutely-substantial usual Hollywood fare unless they are made to be a truly outstanding masterpiece of a film. I’m not someone who holds an absolute view that you can’t represent real-life atrocity on a cinema screen without glamourising ghastly inhumanity and debasing the true disaster and exploiting the atrocities for financial gain and artistic credulity. It takes skilled, empathetic filmmaking though that makes sure the message is fully transmitted.
To take the Holocaust as an example, Schindler’s List and The Pianist succeed and are sincere. I’ve got concerns that th spate of Middle East-centric, pseudo-salient US foreign policy pics that have been released recently aren’t so genuinely moved to debate contemporary disasters as benefit off a current buzz-topic. It also bothers me that all these are American films; whre’s the voice for ordinary Afghans, Iraqis, etc.? Quite frankly, I’d rather surf the web and watch the news and TV documentaries to get a rounded perspective on these very-current affairs.
Comment by James Clayton | March 29, 2008
@ James - You’re exactly right. I think if a film can successfully tackle a conflict like this, then it needs to deal with one particular aspect, and then deal with it unbiasedly.
Right now, the mood in America is mostly anti-war. I think Hollywood is genuinely surprised that many of the antiwar films coming out recently have tanked at the box office (pun intended). However, I don’t think their failure has anything to do with the films as much as the films do not tackle the really disturbing aspect: the American people were lied to, and were led into a war that will bankrupt the nation and needlessly end the lives of thousands of people.
The American people usually prefer to be coddled and reassured, but this time their trust has been profoundly broken by the current regime in the White House. There is real bitterness, frustration, and anger over the situation, but none of these movies want to deal with THAT. Instead, they want to focus on traumatized soldiers … a terrible fact that is a direct consequence of American gullibility.
A movie that tackled the George Bush/Dick Cheney web of deceit and greed headlong would certainly gain a wide audience. I remember seeing Farenheit 9/11 in the theater, and the audience was whooping and laughing as Michael Moore disemboweled Bush. The American people want Bush’s head on a platter. A movie that gives it to them will be much more successful than another Vietnam movie regurgitation.
Comment by Ray | March 29, 2008
Which is exactly why Oliver Stone’s W film is going to make a gazillion dollars.
Stone may have been 80% restrained on WORLD TRADE CENTER but I think he will go all out on Bush here and really test Josh Brolin’s acting ability to make the President likeable at all.
For me, it’s the most fascinating work Stone has ever done. He has never before attempted to attack an in-house American Government.
I really enjoyed this review Ray and I think your spot on about the “honest” factor. The “War on Terror” movies that have come out in the last months have felt angry in their intentions but in pratice they are the glossy studio 2 hour-longs with hardly any gravitas - or the ability to stir up emotions - because at the end of the day they have nothing to say.
Much like Paul Haggis’ films.
Comment by Matt Holmes | March 31, 2008
I agree that Stone’s movie should be powerful and successful. It’s just unfortunate that Bush will be out of office by the time it gets to the screen.
Comment by Ray | March 31, 2008
Hey Ray DeRousse. I just wanted to say RESPECT for your opening words man. Totally with you there :D
Comment by Michael | April 1, 2008
Thanks, Michael.
Comment by Ray | April 1, 2008
Just managed to catch a screening of this today: I have a feeling that my politics are pretty much with yours Ray, and I totally agree that this was a really contrived piece. But I totally disagree that the acting saved this movie and would drop the rating to at best 2 stars because (1) This is an appallingly obvious piece of propaganda designed to lure ‘da kidz’ in with MTV logos and cool war scenes in the trailer and first 10 minutes only to turn into a painfully obvious political rant, (2) It was boring as hell! All of the emotional moments were totally ruined by tiresome and overinflated musical scores and felt insincere, (3) How many propaganda cliches can one film have??? A child dies, we see a veteran’s hospital, suicide, relationship problems, a fight in a graveyard etc etc, (4) I think it’s covertly an anti-Mexican and anti-Canadian film. How desperately did he not want to cross the borders?! ;-)
Comment by Michael Edwards | April 15, 2008
[...] Click here! 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 Richard and 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. [...]
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