Stop The Insanity

David Denby, like so many film critics who oppose the war in Iraq (sorry to be redundant) figures he understands what it all means, even though the story is still unfolding. One of the problems with these anti-war films, in fact, is that the war is still happening--to say America is a force for evil and its soldiers are being driven crazy and dying in vain (even as you insist you support them) while they're still putting their lives on the line is no road to popularity.

Of course, popularity doesn't necessarily mean quality, and vice versa. I only bring this up because Denby, who makes pronouncements on the war in his review of Stop-Loss, also thinks he understands America so much that he can write "The soldiers are held together by their love for one another, and that element of Army life may make Stop-Loss popular with both liberals and conservatives, but no one, I think, will be happy about what the movie suggests is happening to some of the best young people in the country."

Not only is the film predictably flopping, but the sort of stuff the movie is suggesting is the reason Denby likes it and America hates it. (Is it true? Not really, but that's not my point.)