Stop-Loss

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: March 28, 2008

DVD Release Date: July 8, 2008

Plot 411: After their final tour in Iraq, Brandon and Steve's long-time friendship is tested when one of them is ordered back to active duty.

Review: For some odd reason, this movie totally makes me think of Don Henley's Boys of Summer. I'm not exactly sure why because the themes are different. Maybe it has to do in part with the movie's theme of one's loss of innocence and the melancholy realization that it is gone forever? Brandon (Ryan Phillippe) and Steve (Channing Tatum) have completed their tours in Iraq during which time they've watched many men die. Brandon feels responsible for their deaths but looks forward to being discharged from the military. Unfortunately, because of a policy that allows the government to recall soldiers, Brandon must face his demons and return to war. He refuses to comply and becomes a deserter. Another soldier (played magnificently by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) under Brandon is guilt ridden and plagued with depression. The movie's political themes are evident, but I connected a lot more with the emotional and psychological nature of the film. The turmoil that these characters (and I assume real soldiers) face makes for an interesting, yet heart-wrenching, plot. The political implications are also intriguing and makes you reassess your viewpoints, especially when you see how politics, government, military and war affects real lives and real families.

Watch It: For a different kind of military drama that'll get you thinking and a great performance by Gordon-Levitt.

Skip It: If you're definitely pro-war/pro-military as the characters may just piss you off. You need to view this film with an open mind.

Food, Inc.

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: June 12, 2009

DVD Release Date: November 3, 2009

Plot 411: An eye-opening look inside the food production cycle that feeds America.

Review: I'm a carnivore. I've been one since I was a wee babe. However, after watching this film about corporate America and the food production cycle, I really gotta say that meat doesn't look so good right about now. This film delves into many issues surrounding farming that we, as consumers, probably aren't cognizant of. From chicken, beef and pork to the corn that is grown to feed them, large international companies control the types of food that are available to us. By looking at the bottom line and profits, they are effectively killing people. That's not even counting the their negative effects on the environment. Everyone is affected by this cycle of food production - from the farmer, who harvests crops or raises livestock, to the soccer mom, who purchases the end product. Everything is horribly intertwined and one defect can impact millions. What is even more horrifying is that these large companies don't seem to care about the destruction they're causing. I'm not usually one to get on a soapbox and wave the peace sign around, but people should really watch this film just for its educational value. I learned a lot about things I'd never even took a minute to think about. I don't know if this knowledge will completely change my consumer habits (although it really, really should), but at least I'll be more aware of things as I do my weekly grocery shopping.

Watch It: For a jaw-dropping look at the working conditions, politics, strong-arm tactics and capitalism involved to produce something as simple as a hamburger or a gallon of milk.

Skip It: If slightly graphic images of animals in atrocious conditions make you cringe.

Johnny Got His Gun

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: August 4, 1971

DVD Release Date: April 28, 2009

Plot 411: An American soldier awakens to find that he is dismembered and has no face.

Review: Where The Diving Bell And The Butterfly leaves you feeling saddened but inspired, Johnny Got His Gun leaves you emotionally bereft. It severely drives home its anti-war message because you are confronted with the effects of war for the duration of the film. Not only do you face the physical loss that Joe (Timothy Bottoms) feels, but you also endure his loss of innocence, zest for life and any hope for a future. Joe is a young soldier who volunteered to fight for his country and democracy in World War I. However, he is unable to escape the damage from a mortar shell and awakens in a hospital with no arms, legs or face. He cannot hear, speak, see or smell. The doctors believe that his mind is only capable of running his body and that he does not comprehend anything or feel pain. Unfortunately, this isn't the case and Joe is alternately angry, woeful and frustrated. He relives his past in an eternal dream-like state and never knows if it's reality or fantasy, whether he is awake or asleep. Despite the grim nature of this film, there were a couple moments when I laughed out loud. Is that just wrong or what? I guess that's just the gallows humor escaping. The film leaves you feeling unsettled and despite being over 15 years old with a setting that is even older still, it is still relevent today. There are many points in the film when the dialogue directly addresses the topics of war, freedom, democracy and nationalism, which serve to promote the anti-war theme. But it is the end of the film that captures it perfectly, because the camera creates a feeling of endless helplessness as it pulls away from Joe's bed.

Watch It: For a severe look at war's effects on man and the bureaucracy of the military.

Skip It: If you're looking for an uplifting account of human nature. For this, turn to The Diving Bell And The Butterfly.