Stop–Loss - Starring Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Abbie Cornish, Ciaran Hinds. Directed by Kimberly Peirce
This gripping pro-soldier, anti-establishment, war-neutral film was co-written and directed by Kimberly Peirce (Oscar winning Boys Don’t Cry). These soldiers don’t cry - they enlisted to serve their country, they follow orders, shoot, are injured, complete their tour of duty and finally return to their families - only to find they’re being deployed again.

Squad leader Sgt Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe), sharp shooter Sgt. Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum), Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Rico (Victor Rasuk) are childhood friends from Brazos, Texas.
The film immediately lands the viewer in Iraq, witnessing a car speeding through an American checkpoint. The soldiers take chase, following at top speed in their Hummers, down narrow streets, only to find out too late they’ve been ambushed. The frightening battle results in casualties on both sides and later nightmares.
The friends return to the States. Everyone in the small town turns out for the parade to honor their heroes. Soon after, the men are having flashbacks and alienating themselves from their families - being only able to relate to each other (or those who shared their experiences). When King and Shriver report to get their separation papers, they learn they’ve been stop-lossed. King goes A.W.O.L., fleeing across the country.
Stop-Loss is a do-not-miss film. Go. Tell your friends to go. A (Linda Hollar)

Shine A Light - Starring The Rolling Stones, Directed by Martin Scorsese, Paramount Pictures
Part documentary and part concert film, this most recent creation by heralded director Martin Scorsese, is a behind-the-scenes look at The Rolling Stones. It focuses on a one-off concert performed at New York’s famed Beacon Theater, but also includes glances into the group’s storied past.

Intermingled with the fantastic concert footage are vintage interviews, showing a very young and naïve Mick Jagger, a bashful Charlie Watts, a ‘serious musician’ side of Ron Wood and, of course, the chaotic mess that is Keith Richards. As the film progresses, the band members get older and more worldly with each interview, culminating with a current conversation from each.

The concert is brilliantly shot, with the audio in full surround sound, so the instrument closest to the camera is loudest in the mix. While the music, particularly Richards’ sloppy guitar work, was hit-and-miss, Jagger was nothing short of astounding in his ceaseless energy and boundless stage charisma. If there is a single reason why a band full of 60+ year-old junkies can still sell out arenas, he is it. The band also jammed with Jack White, Buddy Guy and (gasp) Christina Aguilera, who looked and sounded amazing.

The film is rife with Scorsese’s trademark dry humor, from the clips he chose to include to his own campy cameos. The opening scenes, showing the logistical nightmare of getting this thing off the ground, are priceless. You don’t have to be a big Stones fan to appreciate this work. It is a film that stands on its own. A (Kevin White)

10,000 B.C. - Starring Steven Strait, Camilla Belle and a bunch of other people you've never heard of.
10,000 B.C. follows the caveman-ish, Native American-ish, nomad-ish D'Leh as his tribe is ransacked and kidnapped by a Persian-ish, Egyptian-ish group of men. Not to chase after his fellow (whatever they are's), but to chase his girlfriend. Seriously-ish. D'Leh high tails after the well-built and menacing foreigners, only to be attacked by some crazy dinosaur lizard birds. Oh, and don't forget the close run-in with the only friendly saber tooth tiger on the planet. D'Leh follows all the way to some pyramids, where wooly mammoths are helping all of the slaves build said pyramids. Yep. Think "O.C." meets "Apocalypto." Then think about another movie. F (Joe Allison)