Far reaching but powerfully poignant.

Rating: 7/10 (7 July 2008)

Of all the political films to come out in recent months, it's no surprise that most (if not all) have failed to draw a crowd. In a world where so much is going wrong, cinema offers a sweet oasis for millions to lose themselves in. And while many of these politically charged films have been duds themselves in terms of quality and spark, 'Stop-Loss' fairs better and happens to be one of the better projects to combine film and the war in Iraq.
Though it's not always easy to watch or easy to swallow, Kimberly Pierce's first film in nearly a decade is a sincere and heartfelt picture. It's not perfect, it's not great, but it's a worthy observation of an issue often forgotten in the larger scheme of things. It certainly doesn't shy away from the tough questions, as it asks what it truly means to 'support the troops'. Because when the leaders who continue to support an endless war begin exploit the men and women giving their lives overseas and correlate supporting them to supporting the 'war on terror', or better yet, being a patriot, it begins to take us down a very dangerous path. 'Stop-Loss' takes no shortcuts. No bullshit.
It's what makes this film frustrating. Because the issues it faces head on do not have an easy answer. It's not black and white, as much as we'd like it to be. Pierce does a fine job reinforcing this sad fact. It's comparable to 'In the Valley of Elah' in the way it attempts to paint a human face to help drive its message home. It's heartbreaking. But most of all, it's maddening. It is at times difficult to keep the anger from boiling inside of you, and I believe much of that can be credited to some very powerful performances courtesy of Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Abbie Cornish.
'Stop-Loss' doesn't always reach the heights it had the potential for, and does struggle to find the right note to drive home. It takes on such a difficult issue that isn't at all easy to manage, and sometimes 'Stop-Loss' isn't as hard-hitting as I would have liked. It doesn't set out to solve a devastating military catch 22, but perhaps to start a conversation instead. To give us something to think about, something to question. It's a heavy film, but 'Stop-Loss' is a tragically complex story that deserves a moment of your time.
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