Film Snail

Stop-Loss
Stop-Loss

6.1

Stop-Loss

R·2008·113m

Summary

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.

Cast

Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe

Brandon King

Abbie Cornish

Abbie Cornish

Michelle

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Tommy Burgess

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum

Steve Shriver

Josef Sommer

Josef Sommer

Senator Orton Worrell

Timothy Olyphant

Timothy Olyphant

Lieutenant Colonel Boot Miller

Ciarán Hinds

Ciarán Hinds

Roy King

Linda Emond

Linda Emond

Ida King

Steven Strait

Steven Strait

Michael Colson

Alex Frost

Alex Frost

Shorty

Rob Brown

Rob Brown

Isaac 'Eyeball' Butler

Victor Rasuk

Victor Rasuk

Rico Rodriguez

Quay Terry

Al 'Preacher' Colson

Matthew Scott Wilcox

Harvey

Connett Brewer

Curtis

Mamie Gummer

Mamie Gummer

Jeanie

Chandra Washington

Mrs. Butler

Cora Cardona

Theresa Rodriguez

Isreal Saldivar

Augustin

David Kroll

Pastor

Marie Mizener

Karen

Kasey Stevens

Sharon

Lee Stringer

Lee Stringer

Dennis

J.D. Evermore

J.D. Evermore

Rainey

Cory Hart

Cory Hart

Cowboy

D.S. Moss

CIF Clerk

Roger Edwards

Roger Edwards

Clerk

Richard Dillard

Richard Dillard

Sheriff Boudreaux

David Precopia

Police Officer

James D. Dever

Captain Dever

Mark Richard

Mark Richard

Pastor Colson

Laurie Metcalf

Laurie Metcalf

Mrs. Colson

Tory Kittles

Tory Kittles

Josh

Margo Martindale

Margo Martindale

Senator's Secretary (voice)

Ben Taylor

Bartender

Cameron Clapp

Vet

Clifton 'Troy' Robinson

Vet

Peter Gerety

Peter Gerety

Carlson

Weston Scott Higgins

NCOIC of Pallbearers

Tom Minder

Honor Guard NCOIC

Victor García Jr.

Grave Digger

Robert Farrior

Robert Farrior

Captain Greg MacDonald

Mohammad Ahmed

Indian Man (uncredited)

Erik Anderson

Captain Urbina (uncredited)

Ken Edwards

Platoon Leader (uncredited)

Spencer Greenwood

Brawling Drunk (uncredited)

Beau Harris

Soldier (uncredited)

Elizabeth Ingalls

Elizabeth Ingalls

Sweetheart (uncredited)

Mike Murehead

Mechanic (uncredited)

Estella Perez

Estella Perez

Capitol Business Woman (uncredited)

Carlos Pina

Carlos Pina

Dance Hall Dancer (uncredited)

Christian Stokes

Christian Stokes

Tweaker (uncredited)

Kathryn Tait

Biker Chick (uncredited)

Gary Teague

Gary Teague

U.S. Senator (uncredited)

LaToya Ward

LaToya Ward

Cowgirl (uncredited)

Michele Williams

Army Nurse (uncredited)

Ric Maddox

Ric Maddox

Lieutenant One

Jeff Gibbs

Receptionist

Ayla Judson

Parade Teen (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Writer

Kimberly Peirce

Writer

Mark Richard

Reviews

John Chard

John Chard

March 7, 2015

7

Extended Enlistment.

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

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$25,000,000.00

Revenue:

$11,207,130.00

Keywords

post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
iraq war veteran
u.s. soldier
woman director