'Stop' passes muster

This cross-country journey, the heart of the film, is as much a self-exorcism as a road trip, as Brandon visits the family of a dead comrade and calls on another friend in a military hospital. One grace of Phillippe's performance is that he plays Brandon not as a flawed hero but as a man with real and serious psychological problems trying to survive in a world of moral collapse.

Australian actress Cornish, whose work back home in "Somersault" and costarring with Heath Ledger in "Candy" brought her notice, reveals herself here as "Stop-Loss' " secret weapon, able to be restrained but forceful as Phillippe's character gets closer to going over the edge.

The film's actors aside, "Stop-Loss" does have its share of rough spots. Some characters are too obvious, and Peirce's emotional commitment causes her to overreach at moments, to present situations that are more awkward than we might like. But even as we're noticing these bumps in the road, the film's pace and passion are moving us inexorably forward.

One of "Stop-Loss' " valuable qualities is the care it takes not to take obvious sides. It respects the patriotism of the men who serve while understanding just what Brandon means when he talks about "that box in your head where you put all the bad stuff you can't deal with." His box, he says, is full, and there's nothing either loyalty or duty can do about it.

--

kenneth.turan@latimes.com

"Stop-Loss." MPAA rating: R for graphic violence and pervasive language. Running time: 1 hour, 53 minutes. In general release.