'Stop-Loss' delivers powerful pro-soldier message
"Stop-Loss" Like earlier films dealing with the war in Iraq, "Stop-Loss" didn't find an audience when it hit theaters in March. I hope people give it a second chance on DVD. It's not a perfect film - the story occasionally dips into melodrama and director Kimberly Pierce struggles to maintain the right tone - but it delivers fine performances and some powerhouse moments that recall the best war-themed films of the Vietnam era. ("Coming Home" is a clear influence.)
The story centers on Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe), a young Texan whose tour of duty in Iraq comes to an end with a bloody ambush that leaves two of the soldiers under his command - and a number of Iraqi civilians - dead.
Haunted by the battle, Brandon looks forward to reclaiming the simple life he led in his small hometown. He arrives there with the other soldiers in his unit, which is on leave, and the town welcomes him back with a raucous parade and reception. A couple of Brandon's childhood buddies who are part of his unit join him in a delirious night of drinking, dancing and fighting, culminating in Brandon's joyous shout: "I love Texas!"
The fun doesn't last. Just a few days after arriving home, the Army orders Brandon back to Iraq for another tour of duty, citing the "stop-loss" clause in his contract. The clause allows the government to send soldiers back into battle as many times as it sees fit. Brandon, plagued by visions of the soldiers who died next to him in Iraq, goes AWOL
Phillippe, an underrated actor, does a great job conveying the inner turmoil of a genuinely patriotic soldier who decides to defy the military and the government. The supporting performances are top-notch as well, especially Abbie Cornish's understated turn as the fiancee of Brandon's best friend.
Pierce, whose last film was 1999's brilliant "Boys Don't Cry," says she was inspired to make "Stop-Loss" after her brother volunteered to fight in Iraq. The movie expresses both deep respect for the men and women serving in our nation's military and anger at a system that doesn't care for these soldiers when they come home. Occasionally, Pierce's anger gets the better of her, resulting in a few heavy-handed speeches. But overall, "Stop-Loss" is a powerful, thought-provoking film. The DVD includes a Pierce commentary, deleted scenes and a making-of documentary. (R; Paramount, $29.99)
"Batman: Gotham Knight" (two-disc special edition) Need a Batman fix before "The Dark Knight" hits theaters? This new animated film should do the trick. "Batman: Gotham Knight" is a collection of vignettes about the Caped Crusader with a tone very similar to "The Dark Knight" and its predecessor, 2005's "Batman Begins." Scripted by veteran comics and movie writers, each chapter is animated by a leading figure in Japanese animation, or anime. The results are gorgeous, with kinetic action sequences that unfold over beautifully realized backgrounds. The stories are strong and surprisingly dark. (Parents take note: This stuff is probably too intense for really young viewers.) I particularly liked the installment by Chicago-born comics writer Brian Azzarello, who ends his story on a grim note that wouldn't be out of place in a James Ellroy novel. The two-disc DVD set includes a commentary with Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy and beloved comics writer Denny O'Neil, along with featurettes that explore the history of the Batman character. (PG-13; Warner Home Video, $29.98)
"Mad Men: Season One" Here is a nifty DVD set for one of TV's best new dramas. I challenge anyone to watch the immaculately crafted first episode and not be hooked on this show. Set in 1960 inside a Manhattan advertising agency, "Mad Men" follows a wonderful collection of characters that includes slick ad executive and ladies man Don Draper (Jon Hamm), oily junior executive Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) and sweet young secretary Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss). Creator and lead writer Matthew Weiner (a "Sopranos" vet) moves the action gracefully from the offices of the Sterling Cooper ad agency to the rooms inside the executives' well-kept homes, and he does a pitch-perfect job re-creating the look and attitudes of America in 1960. Arriving just in time for the July 27 premiere of season two (on cable network AMC), this DVD box set includes all 13 first-season episodes and a slew of nice bonus features, all housed in a container that looks like a cigarette lighter (the characters in "Mad Men" never met a cigarette they didn't smoke). This one's a keeper. (Lionsgate, $49.98)