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Post by christina on Sept 22, 2012 12:06:59 GMT -6
Saw it last night and thought it kicked major butt.
I've seen a couple of documentaries about US soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who, after returning home, experienced major problems adjusting to civilian life. They reported the same hallucinations that the soldiers were having in this movie. It was very well researched.
I loved the tenderness in the scene where Michelle tends to Brandon's cut that he incurred during an altercation. Brandon seemed so vulnerable. And I thank the director for steering away from a love affair between them.
Also deeply moving: the weeping mother in the final scene (the thought that my son may ever have to go to war is unbearable to me) and the empty stare of Michelle.
Ryan Phillippe is definitely one of my favorite actors. He did a great job. (I thought he was also fantastic in The Bang Bang Club). He is sorely underrated.
I thought the whole cast was terrific.
Only 3 (correct?) very brief Tim scenes. Nicely played. But I thought he was almost too cute and too young looking for the part despite the greying temples.
(I read somewhere that TO's father was a jarhead. Or did I misunderstand something? Wouldn't be the first time. ;D)
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Post by alphamare on Sept 22, 2012 12:51:44 GMT -6
TO's pops is a Green Beret with the airborne infantry, Army Ranger. He served in Vietnam. I liked Stop Loss, but I thought it was a little hokey with the guitar playing and personal camera footage. War scenes weren't as gritty as I thought they would be. I was first attracted to it because I like Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Phillippe and I thought this was pretty good for an MTV movie. Favorite scene was when CT dug himself a safe place to sleep in his front yard. Got me all emotional, thinking how wives and parents have to deal with that when their husbands and little boys come home. Must be difficult to have them look the same but have moments where, mentally and emotionally, they're just not the boys we sent off to war. I wish we saw more Tim. I think he's convincing as an officer. But really, only when he speaks, cause, like you said, he's too adorable to look threatening when he's just standing there. Then, he opens his trap and barks out orders and you're like, "OH! I get it now. He's a bad ass." PS- This got me to thinking about TO's dad, so I googled him and found this: www.blogtalkradio.com/gallantfew/2011/12/22/gallantfews-the-new-american-veteran It's a little dry at times but it's nice to hear him speak. You can hear a lot of him in TO.
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Post by harlancounty on Sept 22, 2012 16:16:10 GMT -6
That was very interesting, thanks for sharing. It was nice to hear him speak so highly of his sons.
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Post by christina on Sept 22, 2012 17:05:49 GMT -6
In one of the documentaries I saw, there was a veteran who, whenever he was crossing a bridge in his home town, he was convinced he was back in Iraq because it reminded him of location back there, and he was constantly expecting some enemy shooter to appear out of nowhere. Every time he had to cross the bridge he had a panic attack. He was on numerous anti-depressants. Many soldiers, even if they are not physically hurt, are emotionally traumatized for life.
DAMN. I have to go to bed. I'll listen to that phone-in thing tomorrow.
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Post by Dolphin on Sept 22, 2012 19:18:13 GMT -6
I thought Stop Loss was pretty good. I agree. The Bang Bang Club was even better for Ryan Phillippe.
I just got around to watching The Hurt Locker last weekend. I thought it was very well done. I'd love to see TO in a Katherine Bigelow film.
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Post by weegieburd on Sept 23, 2012 1:13:15 GMT -6
I thought Stop Loss was a good film and gave a good account of the traumas these young men go through after they come home. My niece's husband has been really messed up by what he experienced over there.
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Post by Dolphin on Sept 23, 2012 8:41:46 GMT -6
I thought Stop Loss was a good film and gave a good account of the traumas these young men go through after they come home. My niece's husband has been really messed up by what he experienced over there. Was he stop lossed Weegie? That is horrible. Stop loss, trauma ... all of it. I hope he's receiving the help he needs ... that it is available to him. And please thank him for his service.
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Post by christina on Sept 23, 2012 9:53:02 GMT -6
OK. I listened to the radio talk/phone-in with Tim's dad.
I have a couple of questions: what is ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) and what does it mean to be commissioned through it. I tried to read up on wikipedia, but I still don't get it.
I can't seem to understand the difference between Marine and Ranger. I just know they are both elite forces.
What else -- I got the feeling that B. is a very competitive guy. Very proud of his sons' athletic achievements. Always wanted them to be "winners", best-of-the-best. I am a little surprised that he seems very accepting of their artistic inclinations. Of course, that is a good thing. It's cool how he keeps track of what they are doing. Always bad to have parents that are negative or just plain disinterested. (Guess whose parents I'm talking about.) B. also appears to be a highly intelligent and a talkative guy. It's a shame he didn't get asked what other languages he speaks. Of course I'd love to know. lol
It's funny but in one of the documentaries I saw about Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, they also brought up the issue of how hard it is for most of them to get a job and it is exactly for the reasons mentioned in this radio talk: they are told that they have no qualifications that can serve them in civilian life and a lot of employers are afraid that they are emotionally/mentally unstable.
Oh, yeah. I have seen many Vietnam movies, but something tells me that none of them come even close to the reality and horror of this war. My fave being: Full Metal Jacket by Stanley Kubrick.
What else: I don't think there is anything that is good about war. I say I have to go with Edwin Starr's "War, what is it good for. Absolutely nothing." Simple but true. AND I'm not amused that TO lend his voice to a war game. No war games in my house!
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Post by weegieburd on Sept 23, 2012 11:51:46 GMT -6
I don't know if we have such a thing as Stop Loss over here Dolphin, no, Gavin's friend was shot right beside him and he carried his body back to the transport vehicle. He was given an honourable discharge because he developed a DVT and has to take anticoagulants. My niece has had to fight tooth and nail to get him counselling...we treat our heroes very badly IMHO.
On a lighter note, I think Tim's dad definitely loves his family and seems to be very proud of them. I did notice that he didn't mention Tim by name and wondered if the whole family are protective of him and his family.
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Post by Dolphin on Sept 24, 2012 17:25:24 GMT -6
I don't know if we have such a thing as Stop Loss over here Dolphin, no, Gavin's friend was shot right beside him and he carried his body back to the transport vehicle. He was given an honourable discharge because he developed a DVT and has to take anticoagulants. My niece has had to fight tooth and nail to get him counselling...we treat our heroes very badly IMHO. On a lighter note, I think Tim's dad definitely loves his family and seems to be very proud of them. I did notice that he didn't mention Tim by name and wondered if the whole family are protective of him and his family. Thanks for sharing, Weegie. I sure do wish them well. Gavin is a cool name.
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Post by alphamare on Sept 24, 2012 17:37:52 GMT -6
I edited this bad boy to add some more detail since I'm able to type with 10 fingers on my computer (as opposed to my one finger on the phone) and to combine my multiple posts into one. I loathe my phone app, but I cant be without TO for too long either. ROTC is training to become an officer in the military. They offer it at high schools and colleges (you get financial aid to pay for your education) and when you graduate you can become an officer. Commission means you have the written authority to command other military personnel. There are three classes of personnel-- enlisted, Non Commissioned Officers (Sergeants, in other words an enlisted person promoted to a position of authority) and Officers. You become a 2nd lieutenant if you graduate from ROTC. If you don't go through ROTC and you want to be an officer you have enlist, go through basic, be accepted into and go through Officer Candidate School which is the by the sweat of your brow way... something like 6 months of really hard work. Our military has branches. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Each has their own elite special forces (Rangers, Green Berets and Delta Force for the Army, SEALS, and various divers and rescue groups for the Navy, AFSOC for the Air Force and RECON Marines) who are the best of the best that each branch has to offer in terms of mental, physical and emotional toughness. TOs dad was commissioned. He went to Advanced Infantry Training to be certified airborne, so he can jump from planes. Being Airborne Infantry is a pretty big deal. THEN he went through additional training for another year to two years to become a Ranger, which is a huge deal. And, finally he had to pass additional testing and training to be a Green Beret. Green Berets are the most highly trained soldiers in our Army, aside from possibly Delta Force which is made up of Green Berets. Each step on the journey has mental, physical and aptitude tests that you have to pass to go further. Being proficient in one of several specific foreign languages is prerequisite to being a GB. To sum it up, TO's pops is one dangerous, smart, mentally tough fella. All in all he's a bad dude. Hope this clears it up a little. I know all this cause way back in the day I had a boyfriend who tried to be a Ranger and I had an uncle, whom I never met, killed in Vietnam who tried to do various things in the Marines. I also have several other family members with military connections though no one immediate. And we do treat our heroes pretty poorly. Very sorry about your relatives husband weeg. War really does damage our boys and girls. Sad that he needed to fight for the care he needs and has earned. I think war is terrible but sometimes necessary. Sometimes human rights need protecting and we're willing to shed blood and give family members to that cause. Wars based on greed and land rights and oil I have a harder time swallowing. Like the sayings go: land of the free because of the brave and all gave some, some gave all. PS-- TOs parents were divorcing as he was entering college so I don't know that Dad had much say in his choice of major. Our soldiers have so many positive traits for employment. Thank the heavens for those brave souls who protect us and our way of life without batting an eye.
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Post by christina on Sept 25, 2012 7:43:02 GMT -6
Alpha, thank you so much for answering my questions in great detail. For some reason, I am fascinated by everything concerning the US. As for war -- I respect your take on it and everybody is entitled to their opinions, I really do believe that, and do not want to pick a fight, but since this issue is very important to me, probably also because I have a son, I just have to say, I see it differently. I do not buy into the human rights reasons for war. Ever seen Hotel Rwanda? Great movie with john cheadale. Well, I guess I'll leave it at that because well this is an enterntainment board, but some of TOs work touches some serious stuff.
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