Ryan Phillipe stars in Stop-Loss as Sergeant Brandon King, just home to Brazos, Texas from serving in Iraq. Expecting to be "gettin' out," instead he is informed that the Army has invoked the Stop-Loss provision, meaning that his contract will be involuntarily extended and he must return to Iraq.

Director Kimberly Peirce will tell you that this is not an Iraq war movie, but that should be clear to anyone who views the film. Rather, it is a psychological study of the after effects of war on our soldiers. With the tagline "The Bravest Place To Stand Is By Each Other's Side," the viewer is shown just how much these soldiers' lives become entangled with each other's demons and how treacherous it can be when those demons can't be exorcised. The movie centers around the main character as he grapples with the decision of whether to go permanently AWOL, forsaking life as he knows it to avoid going back to the ravages of the war. The viewer is given a very personal view into the choices the character is faced with. Whether we would agree with the choices he makes, the viewer is thrust into the action and forced to confront these real life issues. The movie is also supported by a strong network of auxiliary characters, creating an interesting network of psychological trauma as each of the characters deals with the impact that the war has on him- or herself.

It can be difficult to forget that this is a production of MTV Films, examples of this including the clichéd use of Drowning Pool's "Bodies (Let the Bodies Hit the Floor)" and the casting of Channing Tatum, wooden performance and all. (Interested movie-goers, however, will delight in one of the more dramatic scenes where his oiled-up body is clad in just skivvies.) Though MTV's demographic is clearly twenty-something viewers, in a way that actually helps the movie by keeping a touch of lightheartedness in this compelling but otherwise potentially bleak story.

The film is somewhat uneven and seems to not be sure exactly where it's going, and also has some time continuity problems and minor effects problems, but those don't take away from the impact of the film. Even given its certain faults, this thought-provoking and insightful movie is not to be missed.

Image via CanMag.