Stop-Loss (2008) Movie Review

There's a powerful emotional kick to this film that kind of sneaks up on us. As a bracingly honest look at the effects of an unjust war, it's also both timely and timeless.

Brandon (Phillippe) returns from his tour of duty in Iraq as a decorated hero alongside his childhood buddies Steve (Tatum) and Tommy (Gordon-Levitt). But as he plans to start his life over again back home, he finds out he's been stop-lossed, automatically re-enlisted. Refusing to go back to Iraq, he goes on the run, which upsets his Vietnam-vet dad (Hinds) and enrages his commanding officer (Olyphant). But his old friend Michelle (Cornish), Steve's fiancŽe, sticks with him as he seeks a way out, even if it means disappearing to Mexico or Canada.

Fierce, meaty performances from Phillippe and Cornish give this film a centre that's both tough and tender. These are two strong-willed people on the brink of madness at what's happening around them, especially as it relates to Steve, nicely played by Channing as the man who fails them both in very different ways. The cast is so energetic and forceful that we are pulled into their dilemma; our minds are seeking a solution along with them, and the film's kinetic style keeps us on our toes, since it avoids a formulaic structure.

Peirce's direction and editing are muscular and intense from the harrowing opening sequence in Tikrit to the quietly intense scenes back home, while home-video clips of their Iraq experiences are stirred into the story all the way through, like an echo in their minds that they can't shut up. The film's visual style, with Chris Menges' robust cinematography, constantly evokes internalised feelings while capturing the surface expressions of machismo and camaraderie.

Since it's such a strong cinematic experience, we can forgive Peirce some slightly wobbly storytelling. The pacing stumbles occasionally, and there are so many emotional touch-points that, by the time the plot reaches its climax, we're utterly worn out. And along with some unsubtle but intriguingly balanced preachiness, there are strongly resonant moments all the way through that linger in our minds long after the lights come up.