Left and Right meet in a heavy handed didactic debate about the Iraq war in the Robert Redford directed "Lions for Lambs"..
Director Robert Redford and first time writer, Matthew Michael Carnahan try to tie together three stories in three different settings that play out of over course of the same hour. The Media, The Government, The Educational System, US Soldiers and Idealistic College Students all get a chance to lecture us about Iraq.

The first setting and by far the most interesting involves The Media and The Government played with ease and expert charm by Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. Cruise plays a GOP leader, whose task is changing the populious' outlook on the government's effort in the Middle East. Cruise has the flair to sell a villian with a smile, but his character is never real, Redford tries to pretend he is playing it neutral, but it ends up coming off like a liberal's idea of the GOP. Streep plays a liberal journalist, who questions and challenges all the spin the government has sent to the people over the course of the War. This whole section is great, you are reminded of how talented Cruise and Streep really are. This section would have made a great short film and really is the only part to recommend. Actually, I would give it an A, and the rest a D.

The second section is almost pointless and really goes nowhere. Redford played as a teacher lecturing his bright student to use his mind for change the world He argues that apathy is "not cool dude". At least that is what I took away from it. This section is just preaching to the choir and really comes off as quite pretentious. I know if I didn't agree with most his message, I would have turned the movie off within 30 minutes.

The third section takes place in Afghanistan and involves the mission Cruise is trying to sell and two former students of Redford's. I think this section was supposed to tie the other two sections together and provide so action for otherwise talky film, but it ends up just getting lost and feels out of place. Apart from the plot confusions, it takes place in the dead of night and is shot extremely dark, which makes it hard to decipher..

All and all this is a possible rental, if you just watch the Cruise and Streep scenes, but overall it is hard to recommend. It is sad that such good actors and a director of Redford's talent could not make a better film.

Nothing great and nothing bad about the sound or picture. Scenes at night were hard to make out, but I think that was the point to show the confusion of war. This was also a screener copy so it could be better in the final version.

Commentary By Director Robert Redford

The Making Of Lions For Lambs

Script to Screen

UA Legacy-
Promo montage of United Artist Greatest Movies.
Teaser Trailer
Theatrical Trailer

Pretty Sappy stuff.... Everyone praising each other.

Left and Right meet in a heavy handed didactic debate about the Iraq war in the Robert Redford directed "Lions for Lambs".

All and all this is a possible rental, if you just watch the Cruise and Streep scenes, but overall it is hard to recommend. It is sad that such good actors and a director of Redford's talent could not make a better film.