Stop-Loss (2008)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Kimberly Peirce

Writers (WGA):

Mark Richard (written by) &
Kimberly Peirce (written by)

Release Date:

28 March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The bravest place to stand is by each other's side.

Plot:

A veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.

Plot Keywords:

Honor | Texas | Iraq War | Headlock | Fugitive

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Ryan Phillippe	...	SSgt. Brandon King
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Tommy Burgess
Rob Brown	...	Isaac 'Eyeball' Butler
Channing Tatum	...	Sgt. Steve Shriver
Victor Rasuk	...	Pvt. Rico Rodriguez
Terry Quay	...	Al 'Preacher' Colson
Matthew Scott Wilcox	...	Harvey 'Rabbit' Lankford
Connett Brewer	...	Curtis (as Connett M. Brewer)
Timothy Olyphant	...	Lt. Col. Boot Miller
Josef Sommer	...	Senator Orton Worrell
Linda Emond	...	Ida King
Ciarán Hinds	...	Roy King
Mamie Gummer	...	Jeanie
Abbie Cornish	...	Michelle
Alex Frost	...	Shorty Shriver

Also Known As:

Untitled Kimberly Peirce Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic violence and pervasive language. (re-rating; originally also some strong sexuality)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | USA:R (certificate #43629) | Australia:MA | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The shoot in Morocco took place during Ramadan.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the ending sequence when Staff Sergeant King is "counting heads" on the bus, we see the newly-enlisted brothers of "Rico" and "Tommy". Staff Sergeant King was slated to return back to Iraq at the end of the month, however, if the ending sequence was the actual time that King was to return, the brothers would still be in boot camp, as Army Recruit Training is 9 weeks long, not including the Advanced Individual Training which follows Recruit Training.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Senator Orton Worrell: Your country needs you to go back. You know it's the right thing to do.
Brandon King: Sir, I've always done the right thing. And this is wrong.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-04-02)" (2008)

A "Deer Hunter" for the Iraq War

Just saw this film in an advance screening and once the tension and threat (very real) of the opening battle scenes were borne and past, the film grew on me, as the story became one of the soldiers at home: their war aftermath and their war that just won't quit or let them go.

It occurred to me at one point this was quite like watching a "Deer Hunter" for the Iraq war. There were certainly similar aspects, including aspects of the soldiers' relationships with each other and with others at home, and in terms of the casualties and injuries that continue to pile up well after leaving the battlefield.

Stop Loss is perhaps a more political film than the "Deer Hunter" was, because of the timing of its release, while the issues of the war in the film are still very much on the boil in the USA. I think it intends to position itself in a relevant and timely place, and time will tell whether it has staying power as a lasting and powerful war or antiwar film.

There is enough humanity, good drama and strong acting in this picture that it may deserve a place in the lineup of memorable or important American war films.