Review By: Andrea Tuccillo
AndreaTuccillo@TheCinemaSource.com

Much in the same vein as last year’s Rendition, Stop-Loss hopes to lure the masses by basing a movie around a little-known governmental policy. In the case of Stop-Loss, it’s the military loophole used to force soldiers back onto the battlefield after their term has been completed. Where Rendition failed, though, Stop-Loss may succeed thanks to its MTV marketing and good-looking young cast. It’s also a more solid, relatable story filled with tough questions and glimpses of the devastating toll the Iraq War has taken on the young soldiers returning home.

Director and co-writer Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) has plucked details straight from her own experiences to portray the soldiers in Stop-Loss (her own brother served in Iraq and his tales of stop-lossed comrades inspired the film), and that personal investment shows in her attention to the characters’ emotional state. She avoids a clear political stance, instead letting the characters’ humanity drive the story. Straightforward, no agenda: a surefire way to please everyone. Or at least try to.

The film follows three soldiers and friends who return from a tour of duty in Tikrit to their hometown in Texas. The transition for the boys is far from smooth as they realize they’re not the same people they used to be.

The central character is Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe), the level-headed leader of his troop. He comes back a hero, but under the weight of guilt for an ambush gone wrong. His best friend Steve (Channing Tatum) returns home too, into the arms of his waiting fiancée Michele (Abbie Cornish) and with a bad case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Their pal Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has the most difficult time adjusting to life back in the U.S. of A., though. He’s haunted by the death of a friend killed in the ambush and takes solace in alcohol. Tommy’s subsequent self-destructive behavior scares his young wife and she kicks him out, and the stage for a tragic ending is set.

When Brandon goes to return his army gear and say goodbye to his war days for good, he receives some shocking news from his commanding officer (Timothy Olyphant): He’s been stop-lossed. The army is shipping him back to Iraq. This throws the normally even-tempered Brandon into a tailspin. He goes AWOL and takes Michele along for the ride.

Here’s where the movie starts to feel scattered. It essentially turns into a road movie with pit-stop adventures crammed into every new turn. With his best friend’s gal in tow, Brandon journeys across the U.S. visiting the home of a fallen comrade and the rehabilitation center where an optimistic wounded soldier is recovering, all while trying to decide which border to cross and disappear forever. The best thing about the road-trip is that we get to see more of the feisty Cornish, who masks any trace of her native Australian accent in order to play the tough, down-home girl who fears being left behind. She accompanies Brandon as a friend, ...