“Lions For Lambs” (United Artists)
Political Gabfest
Meryl Streep, Robert Redford and Tom Cruise star in the new film “Lions For Lambs.” From beginning to end the movie is basically a non-stop talkfest; and the talk is all political. Streep’s character gives the argument of the left while Cruise’s character pontificates for the right. Redford’s character just urges us all to do the right thing. Blah, blah, blah and on and on it goes.
Redford, who also directed the film, plays college professor Stephen Malley. He meets with one of his students, a bright young man named Todd (Andrew Garfield). Malley is upset that Todd doesn’t seem to be applying himself. During their talk he mentions two other students that he taught who were bright like Todd. They were named Arian and Ernest (Derek Luke and Michael Pena).
Arian and Ernest ended up going into the military after graduation. They wanted to be part of the history of their country. Now they are in Afghanistan and trapped behind enemy lines. You see this in scenes that are intercut with those between Malley and Todd.
Meanwhile TV reporter Janine Roth (Streep) is summoned to the office of Senator Jasper Irving (Cruise). He wants to give her an exclusive story about a new war initiative in Afghanistan. In keeping everything in the movie related, this is the initiative in which Arian and Ernest are involved.
During their discussion Janine and Irving argue the war in Iraq and other US efforts for the past six years. Irving is a gung-ho Republican and a smooth politician while Janine is older and more anti war.
After all the talk in this movie the theme appears to be “everyone should be more involved and do more.” I may have missed the message by a mile but that is what came across to me. I have to admit it was so preachy and teachy that I did tune it all out from time to time.
The acting in the movie is solid with Streep once again being the best of the best. This woman is amazing. Plus she actually seems to alter her physical appearance in some magical way and becomes a new character with a new look in every film.
The film is rated R for violence and profanity.
There are probably some good thoughts and messages in this movie but they never come across clearly. They are lost in the babble of voices that drone on and on. Message movies also need to entertain and this one does not. It has good acting but that alone isn’t enough to hold an audience.
“Lions For Lambs” may have been a movie the three leads wanted to make because of the subject matter, but it is not going to enhance their reputations as entertainers. Tom Cruise needs a hot and this is definitely not going to be the one he needs.
I scored “Lions For Lambs” a baaaa 4 out of 10.
