Stop-Loss

Starring: Mr. Ex-Witherspoon and some average White dude who was in some average dance movie (my wife knows his name)...

STOP-LOSS is about this young decorated war hero who returns home after his tour of duty in Iraq only to be ordered to get his a$$ back out there even though he was about to retire from the army. This unfortunately common practice is called "Stop-Loss." My wife gave her Balderdash definition: "It's when they're stopping the loss of good soldiers leaving the military..." Sounds good to me.

Anyway, Phillippe goes AWOL as he tries to find a way around this bull$hit. Again, this really happens to soldiers in real life. Imagine having survived a war only to be told to go out and try your luck again. Proud to be an American and fight for your country? I don't know about that. You can count me and Eric Watada out.

The movie also portrays the traumatizing side of the war as soldiers try to function in the real world when they get back home. It's some startling stuff. Makes you sympathize with our soldiers if you didn't already.

I usually don't like war movies, but this one was not bad. Graphic war violence at the beginning. Sympathetic drama at the end. Not bad at all. I give this movie and all the soldiers fighting for our country two salutes...