My Review

Rating: 9/10 (9 July 2008)

A group of Texan men led by Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) have completed their tour of duty in Iraq and are given a hero's welcome in their hometown, as they should.
When Brandon goes to turn in his army stuff, he's instructed that he's been re-deployed, thanks to a clause known as "stop-loss" which allows the government to call back troops who've finished their tour of duty.
Brandon is obviously upset about this, and tries to fight it by going AWOL with his best friend Steve's (Channing Tatum) fiancé (Abbie Cornish) as they embark on a trip to Washington D.C. to talk to the Senator who Brandon feels will help him in his cause.
As he's on the road, things are home deteriorate. Fellow cadet Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is facing a divorce and an alcohol problem, and Steve is battled with nightmares and anger issues. Meanwhile, Brandon also faces his demons as he realizes he too has been changed by the ravages of war.
Sure, this is another political war movie (like "In the Valley of Elah," "Lions for Lambs" and "Rendition"), but it's got a strong cast and a solid script which draws the viewer in like never before. Yes, it does center around the negative aspects of war, but it also eventually shows the value of serving in the army and fighting for freedom overseas.