Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon Levitt
Directed by: Kimberley Pierce
Reviewed by: Adam Mast, Zboneman.com
Grade: B-

Stop-Loss is the latest effort from Boys Don't Cry director Kimberly Pierce. It's a well intentioned message movie about the war in the middle east.

After serving his final Tour of Duty in Iraq, Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillipee) returns home to his small Texas town. Looking forward to moving on with his life, King is stunned when he learns that he's to be sent back to Iraq. Shocked and upset by the military's decision to Stop-Loss him, he goes Awol in an attempt to set things straight. Aided by his best friend's girl (played by Abbie Cornish) King makes his way to Washington where he hopes a reputable Senator will help his cause. This doesn't set well with his close soldier buddies (played by Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt), as they look to King's leadership both on and off the battlefield.

Stop-Loss reaches for Deer Hunter level ambitions, and while it does have moments of undeniable power, it comes up a little short. Part of the problem lies in the opening scenes as we see King and his squad in battle. At the risk of sounding callous, the imagery isn't extreme enough. Pierce would have been wiser to have been either more visceral with the early combat scenes (as Steven Spielberg was with Saving Private Ryan), or to not show the carnage at all (a smart choice Paul Haggis made with his haunting In the Valley of Elah). In the case of Stop-Loss, the latter probably would have been more effective. To listen to King tell his story would have been far more effective than seeing it.

Stop-Loss does tend to get a bit heavy handed, but given that it's a message movie, that's expected. Furthermore, the film can't seem to avoid slipping into moments of conventional melodrama, particularly where Joseph Gordon- Levitt's tortured soldier is concerned.

Having said all of this, there's plenty to admire in Stop-Loss. Pierce does a good job of presenting both sides of the issue even though this is clearly a liberal minded film. As King returns to the U.S. and travels across the crime plagued country, it's clear that Pierce is suggesting that perhaps we should be taking care of our own war here at home. It's a subtle but powerful statement and a sentiment that many Americans share. Equally powerful is a scene in which King visits a solider he saved in the battlefield. The positive energy that radiates from this wounded man is incredibly inspiring. Perhaps the most powerful moment comes at the very end of the film. Where Brandon King ends up might surprise viewers, and the choice he makes is a heartfelt one.

The performances are strong. Phillipee is terrific in the lead. His good ole Texan Brandon is an engaging character both strong and vulnerable, and his reason for not wanting to go back into the battlefield runs deeper than one might expect. Levitt and Tatum are also strong as soldiers who have a tough time integrating back into society.

Stop-Loss is an earnest attempt at delving into some pretty tough subject matter. Films like this will always have their detractors because everyone has a different take on the war. In the end, the film isn't quite as powerful as it aspires to be but it's still worth checking out.