I saw Stop Loss last night at the movies. It is probably the first war movie that I have seen and it stars Ryan Phillipe and the person of the opposite sex he supposedly torpedoed his union with Reese Witherspoon for. Reese may have moved on, but I am not so sure I am ready to forgive and forget. Us Southern girls have to stick together.
Anyway, it honestly wasn't a movie I was that into seeing and of the Iraq War-based movies that have been out there, it wouldn't have been my first pick. I probably would have gone with Rendition or Grace is Gone. That being said, it was a chance to hang with some friends, so I went.
The basic premise is a guy is set to get out of the army and he gets stop lossed and told he has to do a third tour in Iraq. He says no and splits. The movie then details him trying to find a way out of the situation, first legally and then not. In the end he caves and decides he can't run away and goes back to do his tour.
My feelings about the military are extremely mixed. While on one hand I am not super supportive (ever) of the idea of war, I recognize that sometimes countries aren't left with much choice and you need to defend or protect yourself. (The Iraq War is so not an example of this btw, in case you were wondering.) Plus military guys can be hot. There I said it. So sue me.
The thing I don't get though is the mentality that many (maybe not all) military personnel have—that very macho, gung-ho, I-don't-have-to-follow-your-rules-because-I-am-a-big-manly-man thing. It came up in this movie, one guy after being out for a couple of weeks literally can't separate himself from the military and another isn't even interested in a normal, non-military life. One ends up re-enlisting and the other commits suicide (sorry if I am ruining it for you). Is that military mindset equivalent to the conceited posturings that many uber-business types, Wall Streeters and the like have? I know that women are just as capable of that as men, but it does seem more prevalent in men than women. I just don't get it.
I really don't know what I am trying to say here. Overall I felt like the movie wanted to be deeper than it was. Its goal, to raise a discussion about the dishonesty and unfairness of our government's treatment of our soldiers and reservists during this war is a good idea. These people have been treated abysmally. But it missed the mark. At least for me.
On a bright note, I can tell you that Nicholas Cage's next film is going to be a suck-fest of immense proportions. It is called Bangkok Dangerous and if the title doesn't clue you in, the trailer will. My friends and I were on the floor laughing. And it isn't a comedy.
