LIONS FOR LAMBS

In 2007 Lions for Lambs was released. This war-themed drama features Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, and Tom Cruise.

The film is actually three different stories being told simultaneously that revolve around the United States' “War on Terror”. One story involves the smug up-and-coming Senator Irving (Cruise) who is attempting to sell his new military strategies to the well-respected journalist Janine Roth (Streep). The second story revolves around two military personnel (Michael Pena and Derek Luke) whose lives are affected by the senator’s strategy changes. The third story is that of a college professor (Redford) trying to reignite the passion of a student (Andrew Garfield) whose attendance and drive have waned.

The three stories are intertwined but never actually touch. I was disappointed by this because it didn’t allow Streep to act with Redford (who also produced and directed the film). Instead, most of her time on-screen time was spent with Cruise. For me, this was the acting equivalent of listening to Barbra Streisand sing a duet with Yoko Ono. I couldn’t help but feel the exasperation Janine was exhibiting as she listened to Senator Irving’s plans was simply Streep channeling her own frustration trying to act off Cruise!

The film is very heavy-handed and consists of many monologues that might have been better suited for a debate than a plotted movie. For the most part (Cruise aside) it’s very well acted, and there are lots of questions that the audience is left to ponder. If questioning things is something you enjoy, then Lions for Lambs might be for you, just be prepared to be a bit bored during the journey.