Stop Loss evokes emotions of sympathy and sadness.

I went to the advanced screening of the American soldier drama Stop Loss yesterday afternoon. The drawcard for me to see the movie was in the names I saw in the cast, that of Rob Brown and Channing Tatum. Although I had seen them both in such serious roles before, both having featured in the inspirational Coach Carter alongside Samuel L. Jackson, I wanted to see how they would portray their roles in a war movie. And they didn't disappoint. They were able to make you sympathise with their character, at the same time critisize their flawed characters. Ryan Phillipe as the lead, was also awesome.

I also learnt a lot about the war America is involved in with Iraq and the frustrations that the soldiers that do not want to ever get involved with again go through when they have been stop-lossed (stop loss is when you have completed tour of duty, this time by the Americans in Iraq, the Army orders you to go back and you have to whether you like it or not). Another thing I enjoyed about the movie was the relationships the soldiers had forged with each other. Although at times they would not see eye to eye, the essence of the brotherhood they shared seemed to prevail at the end.

This was an enjoyable movie. A bit sad, most of the time, but humorous at times. It would be interesting to know how the administration that's ruling the country in the U.S. feels about the movie. At least it's a good topic for a debate that's needed to spare more innocent lives in the battlefield in Iraq.