Spikeopath Kimberley Peirce's (Boys Don't Cry) movie proved to be controversial in military circles. The story is about the stop-loss procedure used by the American military, a kind of small print tactic that can extend a soldiers service should their country deem it so. Sergeant Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) returns home from the Gulf Wars with his mentally scarred pals fully expecting to get back to a domestic life without blood and brains dominating his personal landscape. Yet he is called back in for another tour of Iraq under the stop-loss procedure, something he rebels against and goes AWOL. He has done two tours already, surely he has earned his retirement?It starts off in electrified fashion, the horrors of the war in Iraq bursting from the screen as a firefight ensues, character traits are introduced to us, we are left in no doubt that the soldiers at the end of this tour of duty have seen it all. Pic then settles into a sort of cross between a road movie and a PTSD portrait awash with emotional strangulation. Peirce and her co-writer Mark Richard have honourable intentions, but too much is given over to stereotyping, of stock clichés and the bold signposting of character's futures. They carefully paint King as a model soldier, this is definitely not about cowardice, but come the cop-out finale it's evident that the narrative suffers glaring inconsistencies and confused messaging.On the bonus side is the performances of the youthful cast, where some fluctuating accents aside, Phillippe, Channing Tatum and Abbie Cornish are superb, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes a weakly written part crackle with pained emotion. Of the elders, most are underwritten, which is a shame when you got the likes of Ciaran Hinds in the cast. We are left as a whole with a film that is as uneven as a dusty road in Tikrit, not only in narrative structure, but also in actual facts as regards the procedures of the American military, both on the written documents and execution of duty in battle.It was a flop at the American box-office and it's not hard to see why, but it still has merits. Even as the familiarity tries to breed contempt, the anguished reality of a soldiers life, during tours and post service time, strikes a mightily distressing chord. 6.5/10

jmbwithcats Objectively as a person who reviews thousands of films, I have to say this was a terrible movie.On the one hand, while I knew about stop loss already as everyone who signs the dotted line does, I found it to be unconstitutional as a concept.On the other hand, this movie was pure propaganda from bleeding hearts. It has the clichés running straight through it from start to finish, and it wouldn't have been so bad if the directing, script, dialog were any good.I think the actors did a decent job with what they had to work with, and there were some intriguing ideas, but they weren't new ones and they weren't done skillfully.In the end we wonder what he learned if anything from his actions. It seems it was all full of sound and fury signifying nothing.If you want to see my favorite movie about war, watch The Deer Hunter. Now that's a movie that will change your life.

rusoviet ...i.e. surprise surprise suddenly as of January 2009 one does not find any films damning the effort in Iraq or anywhere since his majesty was inaugurated. I foolishly though this was a film about a boiler room on Wall Street - oh well next time dummy check it out first before you but it for $2.99 @ 7/11.The incessant introspection and 'angst' very heavily laden. The one thing that was true was the protagonist stating there was no declared war with which to justify use of troops. Absolutely right but again no such films since 'his nibs' took over the white house and even with the indiscriminate use of drones, there won't be.Lastly it could have been compressed into a 60 minute drama - I found the emotion boring I was fast forwarding to the final scene.

droseyaz-1 To those of you thinking not everyone in the military is a beer guzzling, hick, you are right. But it is also true that a lot of us hated what's happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. We love our country and respect most of our leaders. Not all, but most. We in the 82nd airborne, Medic unit Mash 3 love our country but know that this is a bloodbath and nothing more. Another rich defense contractors war. Where are the Senators sons/daughters. Comfortable in their wealth away from any of this. It's a real portrayal of a slice of characters in another senseless fiasco. So making this 10 lines I will also say that you can't speak unless you were there. You didn't see it the way it really was and is. Ridiculous to keep these wars going when our own country has no health care, losing jobs, foreclosures. It's all one sided. Bravo Kimberly Peirce for yet another brilliantly direct film.