With subject matter like this, and with a director like Kimberley Peirce, Stop-Loss should have been a home run. Instead, like the war itself, it’s a giant mess.
This next bit might be a bit spoilery, so if you do intend to see the movie you might beware the next few lines. I’ll try to keep it clean, though.
Ryan Phillippe’s character goes to great lengths to prevent him from going back to Iraq; this includes a road trip to Washington D.C. In the end, everything he does and everything that happens while he is away is a waste. He never really seems to take responsibility for that. There is a major ramification to his action and it just seems to be glossed over and shrugged away.
Overall, Stop-Loss just doesn’t work the way it should have. It is pointless and lacks any kind of emotional core. It is a missed opportunity to deliver a real message. Instead, it gives us another shoddily edited MTV music video movie thrown together under the guise of importance. It is an unfortunate failure, which is sad because it should have been brilliant. I can only hope that Kimberley Peirce bounces back with something better. Hopefully, it won’t take another nine years.
Stop-Loss just hit stores last week. It is written by Mark Richard and Kimberly Pierce, and Peirce directed, as well. It stars Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rob Brown, Channing Tatum, and Timothy Olyphant.
The DVD has your standard special features: commentary, deleted scenes, a making of, and a featurette showing the cast in boot camp. The picture and audio are crisp and pristine.
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend you check it out.
Article comments
1 - Derek Fleek
Stop Loss is the best movie of the year so far. Therefore I can't help but disagree with your review.