The movie Stop-Loss took me by surprise--I didn't expect to be so emotionally involved--I was mainly in tears the last half hour!

Before I go further I must admit that Gino, Allen and John didn't like it--but what do they know?!?!?

There are a few things wrong with this film but it doesn't distract from the story or the characters. There is way too much violence--almost as if the director, Kimberly Peirce, (who also directed "Boys Don't Cry") wanted to show that a female director can be as gory and as violent--also since she participated in the writing she has to take the blame for what I thought was a very wrong ending and negated all that came before.

This is a film where all the men, yes, the men, wear their emotions on their sleeves and aren't' afraid to express them and that they do.

I was really impressed with two 'supporting' players Channing Tatum (sorry, but that name for a male actor just doesn't ring right for me), Joseph Gordon-Levitt and of the female actors Abbie Cornish. Though all were suppose to be from the same small town in Texas the accents were all over the place.

The lead, Ryan Phillippe, didn't impress me at all and was overshadowed by the other male actors including Ciaran Hinds playing his father and no way would I believe that Channing wouldn't beat him to a pulp in their 'fight'.

I admit I had to close my eyes a few times in the hospital scenes but I have always had this problem in movies where they show the maimed though it certainly fit in the content of the film.

I was not familiar with the term stop-loss and what it implies or how it affects our soldiers fighting in a war. I don't know if it has been used in other wars but, obviously, it is being abused now.

An interesting story, good acting and a director I admire made the film a winner for me--with John, Gino and Allen having no taste what can I say?? :O)