A film to inspire and encourage

Ian Randolph

Since September 11th, films have taken a patriotic turn with acclaimed directors and A-list celebrities.

“Stop-Loss” is a great movie that captures the essence and reactions of five young soldiers from Texas coming back from the Iraq war.

Director Kimberly Pierce (who also directed the academy award winning movie “Boys Don’t Cry”) does a great job directing this film. Unlike recent war movies such as “In the Valley of Elah” and “Home of the Brave,” “Stop-Loss” is focused on the people who mean the most in this war- the soldiers.

The story centers around Sgt. Brandon King, played surprisingly well by Ryan Phillipe, a war hero that comes back to his hometown of Texas after his time of duty in Iraq. He finds much support from his best friend Steve Shriver, played by Channing Tatum, who also served with him in Iraq.

The two of them return as civilians and try to get their lives back to normal. Brandon soon finds out that the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq. He decides to stand up for what he believes in by going AWOL and taking a heart-filled trip to Washington D.C. to fight this directly given order known as “Stop-Loss.”

This notable performance of Philippe as a straight arrow Texas boy may be his best. Channing Tatum gives a fierce and powerful performance as a soldier who digs trenches in his backyard and hits his wife when he’s drunk. He cares about one thing and one thing only, his fellow soldiers.

The most unforgettable performance of the film is played by the outstanding Joseph Gordon Lovitt. JGL gives an outstanding performance as Tommy Burgess. a soldier who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after the war. He finds himself falling into a deep hole of disaster, as major depression, alcoholism, and guilt take hold.

Audiences from all around can relate to, if not actually feel the problems these soldiers face in a time where all they have is each other. “Stop-Loss” has a great story line and is a deeply moving film. It sends out a great message of standing up for what you believe in whether at war or not.

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