REEL CRITIC:

Legendary producer Scott Rudin has his stamp on many noteworthy films. “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood” and “The Queen” are his most recent Oscar nominations.

He has teamed up with director Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”) to create “Stop-Loss,” a disturbing tale of the military policy that allows the Army to retain soldiers who have already served combat tours in Iraq and completed their enlistments.

The film does not have a political point of view. It does not deal with the reasons we are in Iraq nor dwell on exit strategies.

It focuses on the real life trauma to the families and the unlucky soldiers who get stop-lossed.

They survived the war and thought their time in Hell was over, only to be ordered back into combat at the last moment of their service. Ryan Phillippe is excellent in the lead role as one of several gung-ho Texas recruits who paid his dues in Baghdad and just wants to cash out his chips.

When he gets the bad news of Stop-Loss, the sinking feeling in his gut is palpable.

The rest of the story deals with his dilemma: to obey the new orders or split to Canada. Peppered with flashbacks to his previous time in Iraq we all understand why he does not want to go. As we watch the loyalty and brotherhood he has for his comrades, we also understand why he can’t just run away. This is an intelligent look at a complex issue that affects many thousands of our fellow citizens.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office.