Stop-Loss - 2 smiles

The box office failure of movies about the Iraq War should tell us something about the movie-going public: for whatever reason, they are not interested, especially if, like “Lions for Lambs,” they are too preachy. “Stop-Loss” tends to hit you over the head with the obvious – (1) if our young men don’t die, they are still damaged, emotionally and physically; (2) the government is devious because the stop-loss clause in soldiers’ military contracts is not fair; (3) war is hell.

The movie opens in Iraq. A group of soldiers, led by Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) is lured into an ambush by terrorists. The ensuing shoot-out results in the loss of some of his men and the deaths of not only the terrorists but Iraqi civilians as well. The sense of menace and imminent death hangs heavy over this effective series of events. A few weeks later, Brandon and his best friend Steve (Channing Tatum), their tours of duty completed, are welcomed by their small Texas hometown. Against Michelle (Abbie Cornish), his fiancée’s wishes, Steve re-enlists so he can attend sniper school. Brandon discovers that his discharge has been cancelled and he has been stop-lossed. He is expected to report for duty as soon as his leave is over. Enraged, Brandon goes AWOL and, in Michelle’s company, hits the road to find a solution.

It is a rare director who can juggle both the message and the story and combine them into a cohesive whole. Unfortunately, director Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”) isn’t one of them. There’s not much point to the road trip because it resolves nothing. And the simmering chemistry between Michelle and Brandon goes nowhere. Phillippe does an adequate job as Brandon, but it is the limitations of the script that prevent us from knowing him better and seeing him as a tragic figure. And the ending is as improbable as it is unexpected. The anti-war message is strong and clear. Too bad “Stop-Loss” has nothing more to offer. (3/31/08)