Stop-Loss (Kimberly Pierce, 2008)

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M · #26 Post by M » Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:51 am

tavernier wrote:I love the McCain ad at the bottom of this page.

Yeah, I saw that earlier somewhere in New Films, maybe the 'Doomsday' thread? I don't remember.

tavernier · #27 Post by **tavernier** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:24 am

Armond compares Stop-Loss to Hail the Conquering Hero and Springsteen's Magic, and guess what? It comes up short.

tavernier · #28 Post by **tavernier** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:03 pm

A.O. Scott review.

Barmy · #29 Post by **Barmy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:27 pm

NYPost's one-star review:

DRIVES YOU UP AWOL

March 28, 2008

AFTER five years of news footage and documentaries coming from the war in Iraq, "Stop-Loss" is as phony as a re-enactment with finger pup pets.

"Stop-Loss" is a highly patriotic film, if you happen to dream of the restored caliphate as you sleep in your Osama bin Laden pajamas. Its message is that the good guys are US soldiers who decide to desert, such as a sergeant played by Ryan Phillippe. (Another soldier, played by Channing Tatum of "Step Up," is the villain: He wants to re-enlist.)

Sgt. Brandon King (Phillippe) returns home to Texas to be pinned with a medal for noble service in Iraq, where he led his men into a lethal situation any member of the Salvation Army would have immediately recognized as an ambush.

He and the other actors compete to out-crazy each other while yokelizing their accents a couple of notches past "Texan" to "stroke victim." Every sentence must contain the word "ain't," and everybody spends their time killin' rattlers when they're not relaxing in the "Little House on the Prairie" shacks they call home.

Tatum's character, Shriver, digs himself a foxhole in the front yard and starts howling about enemies in the night, while Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) drives into a lamppost and shoots his wedding presents with a rifle.

Then Sgt. King, who is supposed to be discharged, learns that he has been hit with a stop-loss order requiring him to re-report for duty.

The Army stop-loss program is disturbing but it's also an unfortunate necessity when there is neither a draft nor a volunteer spirit; it wasn't needed in, say, the Korean War. Tough as it is to take, a soldier can't do much about it, and the military would fall apart if it didn't punish runaways.

The mention of the stop-loss policy is the last time the movie intersects with reality. From then on, it's strictly comedy or maybe sci-fi. Sgt. King gets to march into the office of a lieutenant colonel (Timothy Olyphant), jumping over the intervening seven ranks to announce, "With all due respect, f - - - the president." Sure.

About to be brought to the stockade, Sgt. King simply punches out a couple of minders and runs. Getting away with this in the middle of a military base in daylight is about as likely as escaping from a submarine, but never mind, it's on to the next howler.

Brandon tells his parents about his refusal to report, but they neglect to beat him with the nearest mop handle and instead cheer him on. Desert away, my boy! And for no discernible reason, his best friend's girl (Abbie Cornish) jumps in a car with him. Brandon plans to ask a senator he once shook hands with for help, as soon as they can drive to Washington. Because there ain't no phones in Texas.

As we cut from Texas to their road trip (the two of them are constantly driving over bridges), Brandon continues to wear his fatigues despite being on the run from MPs. He even walks into a military hospital, where the movie proves it thinks sergeants are addressed as "Sir."

The Timberlakish Phillippe does his best to play things wacky/flashbacky, "First Blood"-style, with three street toughs who bust up his car. "OK, Hadjis!" he cries. "Y'all better start prayin' to Allah!" He also dives into a swimming pool, imagining a buddy is lying on the bottom. More than an hour goes by before he realizes senators don't actually help deserters (at least until Sen. Al Franken is sworn in).

In the alternate reality of "Stop-Loss," desertion, a crime punished by most armies through most of history with a firing squad, is handled about the same way as staying out after dark to play kick the can even though your mama done told you to be back in time for supper.

But never mind all that, because in the closing moments, the film reverses course on everything it supposedly stands for, except absurdity.

tavernier · #30 Post by **tavernier** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:37 pm

The right-wing nut Post trashes an Iraq movie? What a shock.

Barmy, did that review have an author, or was it anonymous? (I don't go near the Post website.)

Barmy · #31 Post by **Barmy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:38 pm

I think Rupert wrote it.

starmanof51 · #32 Post by **starmanof51** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:48 pm

tavernier wrote:The right-wing nut Post trashes an Iraq movie? What a shock.

Barmy, did that review have an author, or was it anonymous? (I don't go near the Post website.)

Kyle Smith. Not surprisingly, he is more than a little of a nutcase. The movie may well suck, but c'mon Barmy you're not going to make the case with freaking Post reviews. What, you couldn't find anything in the Hatton North Dakota Free Press or Spectator so you resorted to the Post?

tavernier · #33 Post by **tavernier** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:08 pm

starmanof51 wrote:
tavernier wrote:The right-wing nut Post trashes an Iraq movie? What a shock.

Barmy, did that review have an author, or was it anonymous? (I don't go near the Post website.)
Kyle Smith.

From Wikipedia:

Smith, who graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University, is a former U.S. Army lieutenant and veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

So he supports the troops by slapping down that durn Kimberly Peirce!

tavernier · #34 Post by **tavernier** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:33 am

Weekend box office estimate: $4.7 million.

Another Iraq flop, not surprisingly.

Barmy · #35 Post by **Barmy** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:51 pm

I'm surprised it made that much. I was going to promise to leave the Forum if it grossed more than $4M this weekend. No "Iraq film" has grossed more than $15M and it looks like Stop-Loss will gross at least $10M.

Antoine Doinel · #36 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:05 am

Wow, a politically apathetic public not flocking to a political film. How shocking.

starmanof51 · #37 Post by **starmanof51** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:12 am

Antoine Doinel wrote:Wow, a politically apathetic public not flocking to a political film. How shocking.

You can't really do these things about a war in progress and expect mainstream interest. It's feasible afterwards when there's perspective and distance(both for audience and filmmakers). Only a rah-rah film would've had much of a chance in the last few years.

margot · #38 Post by **margot** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:41 am

So what was the message of this movie? That the Stop-Loss policy is a bad thing? The standard enlistment contract is 8 years...he ends up going back anyway, was he really going to live the rest of his life in mexico? It was a good film but ultimately pointless, I wanted him to go back, he needed to go back, and he finally goes back. Nothing gets accomplished

tavernier · #39 Post by **tavernier** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 3:55 am

^^^^^ SPOILER ALERT!

Barmy · #40 Post by **Barmy** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:13 pm

Don't know where else to put this: that idiotic Grace is Gone (distributed by The Weinsteins) grossed $75,000 worldwide. =D>

Adam · #41 Post by **Adam** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:08 am

margot wrote:So what was the message of this movie? That the Stop-Loss policy is a bad thing? The standard enlistment contract is 8 years...he ends up going back anyway, was he really going to live the rest of his life in mexico? It was a good film but ultimately pointless, I wanted him to go back, he needed to go back, and he finally goes back. Nothing gets accomplished

Maybe it doesn't have a message; maybe it raises questions...

tavernier · #42 Post by **tavernier** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:16 am

Barmy wrote:Don't know where else to put this: that idiotic Grace is Gone (distributed by The Weinsteins) grossed $75,000 worldwide.

Did you see it and help it gross that much?

HerrSchreck · #43 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:19 pm

I think Barmy's presence in the thread has prompted the McCain banner at the bottom of this page. Who says googlebots are vague and imprecise?

tavernier · #44 Post by **tavernier** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:21 pm

Barmy may become McCain's running mate---to balance the ticket.

HerrSchreck · #45 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:32 pm

William Kristol & Rupe (in chorus): "Sold!"

Barmy · #46 Post by **Barmy** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:15 pm

I thought HilLIARy was the one who was ready on Day One.

tavernier · #47 Post by **tavernier** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:48 am

Barmy wrote:HilLIARy

HILLarity.

colinr0380 · #48 Post by **colinr0380** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:38 pm

The latest episode of The Treatment is an interview with Pierce.

Jean-Luc Garbo · #49 Post by **Jean-Luc Garbo** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:11 pm

tavernier wrote:
Barmy wrote:HilLIARy
HILLarity.

"Repiglicans" in the Debate thread in Non-Cinema was my favorite.

Barmy · #50 Post by **Barmy** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:15 pm

Did Kim use "God Damn America" as her theme song?

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Stop-Loss (Kimberly Pierce, 2008)