Comments on Getafilm: REVIEW: Stop-Loss (A-)

You are one of this blog's authors...Those critici...

2008-07-14T10:10:00.000-05:00

You are one of this blog's authors...

Those criticisms aside, I don't think you can convince me there's been a better Iraq war movie to date. Also, this one will resonate a lot longer than the others that exist in their own time (Elah, Kingdom, Lions for Lambs, some docs) because these vets are going to be increasing in number for years.

Aren't Witherspoon and Phillippe done? Turns out he's actually dating Abbie Cornish, his co-star in this movie. Don't ask me how I know that. I was accidentally browsing at an airport gate...

Continuing to let this blog's author know that I'm...

2008-07-13T03:36:00.000-05:00

Continuing to let this blog's author know that I'm still a movie fan, I finally caught this one. Eh is all I can muster. Great intentions ruined by a hacky, "this is an important scene" script. And can't Witherspoon just use her power to make Phillipe go away ?

Thanks for the visit. Glad to see a new fan of Vic...

2008-04-12T10:29:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the visit. Glad to see a new fan of Victor Rasuk. Check out Raising Victor Vargas if you want to see a real flirt.

Thanks to your son for his service - best wishes for a quick and safe tour.

Wow, what a movie. It was worth the $8.00 just to...

2008-04-11T17:56:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a movie. It was worth the $8.00 just to see the ending. Also worth the money to see Victor Rasuk who I'd never seen before play Rico Rodriguez. I was afraid to see this movie because my son is currently in Iraq. It was a hot day and I didn't really want to make the long drive, but it was sure worth it! By the way, all you young girls, these guys were HOT! Worth the price of admission all by itself!

Thanks for the visit, CarOlyn! Hehe, I'm pretty su...

2008-04-06T13:14:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the visit, CarOlyn! Hehe, I'm pretty sure we're the only people I know who saw that. Because I know I would get a big "Ugh!" from you, I won't specifically point out where I mentioned her in A Good Year...

And you can be sure about Tatum - nobody plays a mentally unstable lunk like him. I described his range a couple comments ago. He's not going to do much more than jocks and soldiers (and whatever he is in Step Up 1 or 2, neither of which I've seen) for a while, but I find him engaging nonetheless.

You don't remember Abbie Cornish from her stellar ...

2008-04-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

You don't remember Abbie Cornish from her stellar turn in "A Good Year" with Russel Crowe? I'm still not sure about Channing Tatum, was he really ok?

Haha, "alt-weekly attitude." So true. Charm away a...

2008-04-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

Haha, "alt-weekly attitude." So true.

Charm away anytime, Miranda.

Craig, we love you even when you're snarky. That's...

2008-04-02T12:48:00.000-05:00

Craig, we love you even when you're snarky. That's one of your most endearing qualities. Never forget that.

Nicky, you're going to be an awesome critic if you choose to be one at some point. The voice of a generation and all that...

Special thanks to Danny G. for letting me practice my charm school technique this sunny April morn...

Don't ever lose that attitude Nick. Life is too sh...

2008-04-02T12:09:00.000-05:00

Don't ever lose that attitude Nick. Life is too short to focus on the negative all the time.

Sometimes a negative review is a lot of fun to write, but I don't want to get trapped in that snarky alt-weekly attitude where everything sucks.

Sure, I'll try and dismantle a movie I hated, but I won't go out of my way to find those movies until the day comes I'm paid to see everything.

Part of the reason your reviews are so impressive ...

2008-04-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

Part of the reason your reviews are so impressive to me, Nick, is because they're so positive, but not exaggeratingly so. Sometimes I feel guilty reading them, haha. But seriously, a critic that occasionally redefines the word "critic" is pretty refreshing. There are enough of us already kicking dead movies.

Maybe that is why I would be an awful critic, I kn...

2008-04-02T08:11:00.000-05:00

Maybe that is why I would be an awful critic, I know it generally is known that it is easier to focus on the bad than to praise, but I find it to be the other way around. I find the good in almost everything, but I am fine with that.

I do think I am the target audience, sorta, for Stop-Loss, and I am curious to see how I will react to it.

Yeah, I'm pretty far out on the critical continuum...

2008-04-01T20:11:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm pretty far out on the critical continuum here, but I've found respectable company as the dust is settling. Not that I'd have a problem defending it alone, but it's always nice to have others who can make your point more eloquently. SL is definitely a middle-of-the-roader; I wouldn't expect people to either hate it or love it.

"It's awfully tempting to focus on the bad because it can make for a very readable review"

Hehe, isn't that the fun part of writing? In general, it's a lot easier to ridicule than to praise, too.

The first time they showed JGL in a video clip, I ...

2008-04-01T18:27:00.000-05:00

The first time they showed JGL in a video clip, I thought it WAS Heath Ledger. Bizarre.

I think it's great that you're giving SL the benefit of a doubt. I've read more than a few reviews that aren't willing to go half way with it.

Some movies are irredeemable. There's no good in them. Some movies are prefect. Most movies fall somewhere in between to varying degrees and it's up to the viewer to decide whether to focus on the good or the bad.

It's awfully tempting to focus on the bad because it can make for a very readable review, but I think it's more interesting to try and see the good if there is any, and there definitely is in Stop-Loss.

Fortunately there's plenty of room here at Getafil...

2008-04-01T15:13:00.000-05:00

Fortunately there's plenty of room here at Getafilm for differing views, and I'll shut it down if and when there aren't any.

You won't find me apologizing for the character development or writing, Pat, and you bring up a good point. Certainly Phillippe's and Rasuk's characters were flushed out the best (and we got to know each of their families), but all of the characters suffered from some lazy stereotyping. I don't know how many times we've seen the ol' country boys shooting stuff from the beds of their pick-ups. However, I think I was somehow able to step back and meld all the characters into one: the proud yet reluctant soldier. If the only thing you got from the movie was a new appreciation of Victor Rasuk, that's fine with me.

Thanks, Craig. It's definitely not a strong enough movie to defend very far, but I was so disappointed by last year's offerings that this was like a breath of fresh air. I wouldn't consider myself in the MTV target audience, either, but it certainly has that indescribable MTV feel to it, and that's enough to turn anyone off. You're right that it avoided cheap jabs at Bush (the closest was the text that I mention), and that attempt at impartiality is one of its strongest aspects.

Anyway, there's one other observation I forgot to note earlier: with a shaved head, Joseph Gordon-Levitt looks so much like Heath Ledger that I found myself squinting and blinking more than once. It's just incredible, and I never noticed it until this movie.

I wish I liked it as much as you Daniel, but this ...

2008-04-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

I wish I liked it as much as you Daniel, but this is a good review and it gets me to think about the many positive things about the movie beyond some of the negatives.

As I said elsewhere, I don't think I'm quite the target audience for it, and that's ok.

One of the interesting things about it is that it remained fairly apolitical. It avoided finger pointing and simply sought to illustrate a bad situation in a way that was pretty powerful at times.

I can't say this movie affected me as deeply as it...

2008-04-01T12:40:00.000-05:00

I can't say this movie affected me as deeply as it did you. I thought Phillipe and Rasuk were very good, but most of the other characters' stories seemed underdevloped and perfunctory to me. I admired "Stop Loss," but it didn't really get to me.

blushesThanks to both of you for your kind words...

2008-04-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

*blushes*

Thanks to both of you for your kind words. I have to admit I was not even planning on seeing this until it arrived. Forgive me for doubting MTV Films could produce anything meaningful. So that being said, my reaction to Stop-Loss may be inflated because of my low expectations going in.

It won't be an awards contender, Miranda - nor should it be, really, but if you happen upon it you won't have completely wasted your time. Regarding our distractions: it would be nice if it were only North Americans, but I think it's a universal human trait to avoid thinking about things that make us uncomfortable or confused. I certainly believe film has a lot of potential to affect change and influence lives (think about how much we "know" from the movies), though I'm not naive enough to think that a movie is a cure-all for the world's problems. Anyway, this is kind of the underlying heartbeat of my blog, but I'll leave more comments for another time.

Still don't know about Abbie Cornish - I didn't see Elizabeth or Candy, but there's something so familiar about her. She'll probably do some good work in the future.

Nick, I first saw (and forgot) Channing Tatum in Coach Carter, but Saints is really where both he and Shia LaBeouf earned my fandom. Tatum doesn't seem to have much of a range beyond tough guy/loyal friend/tortured soul yet, but he has an undeniable screen presence. I'll look forward to your unique insights when it goes trans-Atlantic.

You have me convinced. I am so in.You see, I do no...

2008-04-01T05:23:00.000-05:00

You have me convinced. I am so in.

You see, I do not like Philipe but I am a Channing Tatum fan. If he gives a fraction of the performance he gave in Saints, I might just drop dead. Abbie Cornish was great in Candy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is underrated.

Kimberly Peirce has so much more to offer, I mean I am going on my love for "Boy's Don't Cry," but I loved that film and I will support her in any way.

Great review Danny, I cannot wait to see this, I Can Not wait. So I won't.

Amazing review. So good in fact that you ALMOST co...

2008-04-01T00:40:00.000-05:00

Amazing review. So good in fact that you ALMOST convinced me to see this. However, although I like many of the cast members and I do believe that Kimberly Peirce is a fine director with a lot of potential, it's really not for me. If it were to be an awards contender, then I would make an effort to see it. But I'll likely pass.

I found your "Last Words" to be particularly moving and powerful. It's true. North Americans in particular use entertainment as a distraction from all of the horrific things that are currently happening around the globe. It's a kind of insulation.

But this is the world - and these are the people in it. How do you stop these incidents from escalating or happening in the first place? How DO you effect change? It's extraordinarily complicated and there are no easy answers. But I wouldn't count on the government at any level (municipal, state or federal) to do anything important or lasting.

Anyway...

Abbie Cornish looks incredibly like Nicole Kidman did about 15 years ago. I saw her in The Golden Age (playing the lady in waiting, Elizabeth Throckmorton, that caught Sir Walter Raleigh/Clive Owen's eye). Don't know where you remember her from.

Well done, Danny. I'm very proud of you.