Sgt Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) returns home after a gruelling tour in Iraq with buddy Sgt Shriver (Channing Tatum) to a hero's welcome and the prospect of figuring out what to do with the rest of his life. But when he turns in his papers, he's informed that a small-print policy allows the US government to send him back to war, whether he likes it or not. Feeling betrayed by his country and superiors, King goes AWOL, determined to find a way to fight the unfair ruling.
Director Kimberly Peirce's first film since the Oscar-winning Boys Don't Cry is another intense drama about everyday people devastated by issues beyond their control. Pin-up Phillippe reveals real ability behind his teen-idol looks, and he's ably supported by the youthful cast, in particular the ever-excellent Gordon-Levitt.
The fact that Stop-Loss failed to set the box office alight was widely attributed to the American public's "battle fatigue" with the Iraq war; a shame, given the powerful anti-war, pro-soldier sentiment of this moving, and all-too relevant film.
Stop-Loss is a Film programme that first aired in 2008 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
