Review of Stop-Loss (2008) by Matt A — 10 Aug 2009

It's an enlightening film but doesn't really express it's ideas in the most eloquent of ways. When a character yells out "Fuck the President!" Subtlety slides out the back door without making a sound.

Levitt and Tatum give great performances and Phillipe is a strong anchor. His character being conflicted and betrayed after serving his term and then being drafted back. Peirce has lost some of her ferocity since Boys Don't Cry resulting in Levitt's and Tatum's familiar character defects of an alcoholic and a man prone to violence.

Surely war can mess people up more than this. In an ideal film, we would have got more of Phillipe before being stop-lossed, which would have made for a more interesting comparison between a patriotic volunteer and an angry, betrayed man.