Stop-Loss: Review

In 1999, Kimberly Peirce burst onto the scene with Boys Don't Cry, an impressive debut feature anchored by the stellar, Oscar winning work by Hilary Swank. It wasn't until almost 10 years later when she returned to the film spotlight with her second feature, Stop-Loss, a moving and focused examination of the effects of the current conflict in Iraq. With its release, Stop-Loss jumps into the upper echelon of films dealing with the war, joining In the Valley of Elah as the two pinnacles of the current crop Hollywood has to offer. Featuring stellar performances from the rapidly improving Ryan Phillippe, the now, always spectacular Joseph Gordon Levitt and a solid supporting cast of talented, young actors, Stop-Loss is a flawed but heartfelt look at the unfair practice of the back door draft that currently plagues the US Military.

Peirce's film explores the lives of Brandon King (Phillipe) and Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum), two high school friends from Texas who enlist in the Army. Upon returning from a tour of duty in Iraq, both are scheduled to get out of the Army but after a night of celebration, both are stop-lossed and involuntarily re-enlisted. King, who is ready to be done with fighting, goes AWOL and hits the road with Steve's fiancée (Abbie Cornish) to try and speak with his senator, in order to save himself from another tour. Much to Steve's chagrin, who believes that another tour is something that they could easily do, Brandon contemplates abandoning his life and moving to Canada but is brought back by the tragic death of one of their squad mates.

The film works so effectively thanks to Peirce's obvious' passion about the subject and her cast's ability to buy into and match that enthusiasm. From top to bottom, the young group of actors takes to the material and imbues the film with heart and soul. Phillippe, who has begun to blossom into a solid leading man, much less of a pretty boy star and more of someone who one can count on to take on challenging, yet rewarding roles. Equally as impressive is Joseph Gordon Levitt, who appears to be one of the leading talents of his generations. Shedding more and more of the baggage of his teenage role in 3rd Rock from the Sun with each successive performance, Gordon Levitt is a supremely talented young actor who displays considerable range here. Tommy, one of Brandon and Steve's squad mate, is confused and angry, yet compassionate and caring and Gordon Levitt brings it all to life.

Peirce's direction is assured yet not overpowering. Instead, it appears that she'd rather allow the film to speak for itself than force her opinions on the audience. Unlike In the Valley of Elah's, which featured a shot in the closing moments that was positively over the top, Stop-Loss never feels outrageous or heavy-handed and is all the better for it. While it is clear that Peirce is upset over the process of Stop-Loss, she is never condemning of the war itself and certainly not of the soldiers. While these men have committed terrible acts, none did so of free will. Rather, the situation they were in warranted their responses and Peirce understands that. She shows a great deal of compassion to the men who have fought for their country.

While it never feels like a perfect film, something I'm beginning to doubt will be made about this conflict, the strength of its emotions cannot be ignored. There are some flaws and the film works better when it stays closer to the personal feelings of the characters than try to take on larger themes but those individual encounters are often too moving to be ignored. With Stop- Loss, Peirce has constructed a brave and worthwhile work that stands as one of the first universal must sees of the year. One can't help but feel like the mark has been missed just slightly here and that Peirce could have crafted an even more powerful film had she abandoned the road trip to the senator and kept it close to home but when each part is viewed, they are greater than the sum of their parts. For a second film, no matter the length of time it took to make, sometimes that’s enough to signal the continued emergence of a filmmaker worth paying attention to.

Chicago 10, Paranoid Park, 21: Review

Chicago 10

Brett Morgen's insightful and inciting documentary is a scathing look at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the riots in Chicago and the ensuing trial/circus. Blending some of today's angriest, yet motivating music, with archival footage and a number of animated sequences may seem like a road to disaster but Morgen seems constantly in control. In doing so, he has crafted the first must see documentary of the year that should resonate with both Boomers and their kids alike. The animated sequences, which depict the trial of the Chicago 8 (+2 [their lawyers] to make the 10), a group of Yippies, Hippies and political extremists, are initially jarring but as the film rolls along, they become second nature and before one knows it, they work to provide a palpable excitement to the ridiculousness of the trial. While it is a bit short sighted in its one-dimensional view of the demonstrations, it is undeniably fiery and at a time where many sit around in complacency, which just may be enough.


Paranoid Park

Gus Van Sant has crafted yet another mesmerizing minimalist drama that grips the viewer from the start and never lets go. Despite almost nothing happening from the start of the film to the end, Van Sant's assured direction lures one in. Combined with the spectacular cinematography by Christopher Doyle, Paranoid Park is a great little indie film that will have a long resonating impact on its audiences. At its core is a story of grief and, you guessed it, paranoia as a mid-teenage Alex deals with the accidental death of a security guard he is running from. Gabe Nevins, who plays Alex, is excellent, providing what may be the most realistic portrayal of a teenager in recent memory. Fans of Van Sant should find a great deal to like here, but for those who have never experienced one of his films, this may actually be a good place to start. It’s slow but short (less than 80 minutes) and is an interesting introduction to his themes and characters. Come year-end, this may be the best small film of the year, despite having been released almost 10 months earlier.


21

If it wasn't for the lead performances, all of which are likeable, 21 would have almost nothing to stand on, which is saying something given the fascinating source material. However, instead of a thrilling and decadent time, 21 feels more like an overwhelming generic bore. Telling the story of 5 MIT students who learn to count cards and make millions may seem easy but here is the way one shouldn't do it. While the leads are good (Spacey is always welcome, given his increasingly rare work and Jim Sturgess is a talent to watch), the look of the film is so dull that one can't help but wish for more zing. This is, after all, not the most reserved story in the world. Why can't they kick up the visual style a little more instead of making it a cautionary tale for the use of digital video? Where luminaries such as Mann/Soderbergh can make a stirring argument for digital's advantages, Robert Luketic, of Monster-in-Law infamy, pulls the whole movement back a couple of years with the dull, lifeless look here. It's not a complete loss as it may give Sturgess a jumping off point to other projects but 21 feels like a house win to me.