The latest Robert Redford film, “Lions for Lambs,” is the movie intellectual audiences have been waiting for as a response to the U.S.’ four-year war in Iraq.
Stacked with stars like Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and Redford himself, the movie dabbles in the politics of winning the War on Terror, the journalists who cover it and the way it affects each and every U.S. citizen.
The film jumps between three story lines, as veteran journalist Janine Roth (Streep) sits down for a one-on-one with Senator Jasper Irving (Cruise), and Professor Stephen Malley (Redford) holds an intimate conversation with slacking, rich kid frat boy Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield).
All the while, a secret covert operation in northern Afghanistan is taking place as a possible start to the solution for the mess the U.S. created.
The movie lends itself to the likes of “Crash” or “Babel,” as the entire storyline comes together to show that no matter what a person’s opinion is on the war, U.S. citizens are in this together. Pulling on the emotions of the audience, this film inspires viewers to think about the world around them and the way in which the country is run.
Cruise delivers a dead-on performance as a young, overly ambitious politician trying to feed the nation a well constructed lie, and Streep shows how journalists find themselves caught up in the ever-changing world since Sept. 11. The scene between the two actors takes place in one Capitol office, but the ideas and emotions presented represent the attitudes and political positions of a nation.
The movie also grabs the attention of audience members seeking on-the-edge-of-your-seat action scenes, as it follows two young soldiers in Afghanistan. The connection between the two soldiers, Arian (Dere Luke) and Ernest (Michael Pena), shows the true meaning of what it means to fight for one’s country.
Pena gives a heroic performance, as he has in his other work as well (“Crash”). As these two students fight, they become the connection that bonds the rest of the elements of the film together.
On the downside, though, are lackluster scenes between Professor Malley and Todd Hayes. Redford plays the part of an over-the-hill professor well, but when the film is focused on him and Garfield, the audience is most likely waiting to see what is going to happen with the other two intense scenes.
The film’s tagline states, “If you don’t stand for something, you might fall for anything,” highlighting each character presented to the audience. Each one has his or her own beliefs and ambitions they are fighting for. The film serves as a warning to viewers who believe the war in Iraq is not their problem. As Redford shows so magnificently in his film, Republicans, Democrats, the rich, the poor, the lazy and the ambitious are all in this together, whether they like it or not.
