Anyone else see Stop-Loss?

Iraq war films have been a box-office bust so far, but the previews for Stop-Loss gave the impression that it might end the losing streak of films like "Lions for Lambs," "In the Valley of Elah," "Redacted" and "Rendition."

So in spite of its mediocre 61% tomatoemeter score, I headed out to the 10:00 show at the Lincoln Square.  I felt somewhat of an anti-war, anti-administration patriotic duty to see it, and add at least one to the weekend gross.

The show was pretty full, though not sold out.  But of course, we're talking about the People's Republic of the Upper West Side here.  As for the film itself?  Very good, but not great.  Certainly worth seeing.  (Some more, with perhaps a moderate spoiler, below the fold.)

The cast is very impressive -- Ryan Phillippe (whom I always thought of as kind of an EMO type actor), was quite intense and convincingly macho.  Abby Cornish is so convincing as a small town Texan that you'd never know she's Australian.  The rest of the cast was also excellent.

The film starts out strong, builds, but then kind of loses steam in the last third, as Phillipe and Cornish meander from seedy motel to seedy motel, with a few breaks for violent outbursts.  

[One quibble -- why the smoking, especially by the main characters?  Have even progressive film-makers Kimberly Peirce, who did "Boys Don't Cry" sold out to Big Tobacco?]

[Spoiler]

The end is believable -- both on its own terms, but also because you know that a film could not be released (at least for mainstream audiences) with the hero leaving the country.