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Lions for Lambs (2007)

Director: Robert Redford

Time Out rating

Average user rating

18 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Star power energises this state-of-a-nation address, with the stellar names playing to their strengths in the hope of masking what’s essentially a parade of ideological attitudes rather than a drama in its own right. Tom Cruise struts his stuff as hot-shot Republican senator, telling old-school journalist Meryl Streep his latest ruse to make America ‘a force of righteousness’. He’s already dispatched more troops to Taliban strongholds, but she deconstructs the Bush government’s chaotic record and suggests another Vietnam-style humiliation. Cut to the suffering soldiers, specifically two patriotic ex-students of wise-owl politics professor Robert Redford, a Vietnam vet turned activist, who’s concerned by his over-privileged charges’ apathy and, back in California, is giving gifted-but-feckless undergrad Andrew Garfield a grilling to that effect.

With its three distinct spheres of activity, preponderance of counter-thrusting op-ed dialogue, and generous scope for the cast, writer Matthew Carnahan’s sincere but ungainly attempt at getting American audiences to think for themselves would seem more at home on stage. It’s pitched as a ‘statement’, excoriating a tame media, as the ‘war on terror’ needlessly sacrifices America’s underclass overseas, and encouraging the finest young minds to look beyond their future salaries and get involved. As such, there’s little fresh here, but it’s hard to be churlish about Redford’s engagement, except to suggest there’s scant dramatic thrust to bowl over the unconvinced. Streep’s impassioned performance exemplifies the seriousness of the stakes, but a lot of liberal hand-wringing, however commendable, does not in itself a movie make.

Author: Trevor Johnston

Time Out London Issue 1942: November 7-13 2007

User reviews of this film

Anne Marie said...

Posted on Apr 23 2008 18:08 It is not a new thing for young men to be duped into going to war, it has been happening for centuries. The army were at my son's Primary school teaching the children to march, and they had not even consulted the parents beforehand. I think the job of the army is to defend us against attack, but not to interfere in the poltics of other countries. You do not see the Australians or the Swedish getting involved the way America and Britain do. There are lots of evil regimes in the world and the way to deal with them is to shame them in the way that apartheid was shamed. But blasting people with rockets is really not a civilised way to behave, and makes us no better than them. This was a very unusual film and perhaps the reason people do not like it us because they expect special effects and explosions and car chases. I agree that it was more like a play than a movie, but the script is excellent, as are all the performances. I am glad this movie was made and I hope it provokes people to think about the "war on terror" and whether that is what it really is, or is it just a question of America and Britian protecting their economic interests abroad.

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mojo123 said...

Posted on Apr 16 2008 01:02 this is the worst film ever,its not a triller,documentry,action film,love story,war film,its americans blown there own trumpet about how educated,and more advanced to the rest of us.newsflash...their not

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Alison Hudson said...

Posted on Dec 21 2007 11:45 Probably the worst movie I've ever seen. It looks like someone gave some big hollywood stars a lot of money to read a school boy's drivel. It is inconceivable that any studio ever released such nonsense.
Robert Redford,l have followed you all my movie going career, but this is one I'm just going to forget you had anything to do with.
Too mind bloggling bad to contemplate.
Don't even buy the DVD.

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Anne Chamberlain said...

Posted on Dec 06 2007 15:54 This is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. It challenges viewers to accept their own possible complicity in public policies which are corrupt and destructive. We have to ask ourselves why we are apathetic while crimes are committed in our names. We also should ask ourselves why we can't be honest about this movie, why all major reviewers want to pan it and run from it. Perhaps the truth hurts too much. If reviewers find truth boring, if they can't think enough to understand this brilliant picture, things are even worse than Redford has portrayed. Is this picture talking only about a past conflict? No, it is talking about the best and the brightest who are dying as we speak. It is also clearly talking about the Iran invasion waiting in the wings. What are we going to do about it right now? Wake up people! Wake up!

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richard gould said...

Posted on Dec 02 2007 11:13 well, i didnt understand the film, i thought that if it was on a saturday, it could have benn much better, but no, it was on a friday .... i mean who do they think i am .... even though i am not part of it, it must be said i am.

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rufus said...

Posted on Nov 29 2007 19:16 If there was was an award for the silliest movie of the year this should definetly win it. A part from the cast, the rest is pathetic and exceptionally dated. I hope that the very few who trust politician and the media would finally switch to alternative sources for their informations (blogs Utube or specialist sites) and perhaps search for ways to let politician know we dont buy their lies anymore. The movie calls to a cry for justice, moral and values that certainly are not reinstated through warfare or politics. Feel sorry for the youngsters in the movie whose Ideals are exploited by the army that convince them to the legitimacy of war and instead deliver a circus. The most viscid is Robert Redford as a university teacher showing an establishment far removed from teaching anything useful no wonder talented students withdraw from such junk. All of the above is well known no need of making a movie about it.

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wavering said...

Posted on Nov 22 2007 11:00 While I'm at it where did the lambs come from? Like Google, I am very familiar with the classic first World War quote of "Lions lead by donkeys" but have never heard of lambs coming into it. Can anybody provide the original quote or is Redford up a gum tree?

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wavering said...

Posted on Nov 21 2007 22:13 Well, have just wasted good money to see this drivel. Do they think we are idiots who need to be talked to like 5 year old kids? The only good part was Tom Cruise who, in his role of ambitious senator on the make just oozes duplicity, bullshit and simplictic nonesense "do you want to win the war on terror, yes or no?"
If we have to watch this kind of stuff to win the war on terror (whatever that might be) then put me down for "probably not"
Am now going to watch the only good thing to come out of the USA for a while "Family Guy" on the telly

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Julian P said...

Posted on Nov 21 2007 07:16 Mastermind, I think this was set in Afghanistan. Ok film, good points made and Tom Cruise is actually quite good so its worth seeing (though is he really just playing himself?).

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Adedeji Olowe said...

Posted on Nov 19 2007 02:51 Within the first 15 minutes, this movie, which started with a lot of promise, gets dull and boring. I don't think it is worth the effort of watching it.

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Master Mind said...

Posted on Nov 18 2007 11:25 An earnest and well-intentioned film which attempts to deal with the problem of how America was duped into a nasty and seemingly endless war. Trouble is, the people who have by now realised that they were duped will find nothing new here. And those who still do not realise they were duped do not go to see this type of film.
I admire Redford and I hear he put a lot of his own money into this film. This must be another proof of the man's decency and altruism, Unfortunately altruism alone does not make good films and this one is stagey, lacking in drama and somewhat tedious in parts. Meryle and Tom put on a good show but, being boxed into a room all the time, their potential is wasted. Full marks to Robert, but low marks for his film. It just doesn't work.

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mastermind said...

Posted on Nov 18 2007 11:13 A very earnest film with excellent intentions. To wit: the Iraq war is an endless quagmire and unless we (the American public) wake up to that there's no end in sight. Also, we (the American press and the the American public) were duped once before so we should not believe in 'new strategies announced by politicians during the run up to electionor we will end up getting duped again. And so on.
Thing is, those who already know they were duped won't find anything new here. And those who do not know they were duped do not go to see a film like this.
I admire Redford and I'm told he put a lot of his own money into this and this must be another good mark towads his reputation for altruism. Unfortunately altruism alone doesn't make good films and this one is static and sometimes quite boring and ultimately leaves one thinking that it is just another hand-wringing exercise by the Americans on the theme of 'how could we, such a kind and loving people, have gotten ourselves into such a nasty mess'. 'The Deerhunter', Platoon' and other films had a similar theme but made far better use of it. So, full marks to Robert (and Meryle and Tom certainly do their best), but not a good film.

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zane said...

Posted on Nov 14 2007 20:35 This film is worth seeing for Meryl Streep's performance which was incredible. Contrary to what some fellow reviewers have written, the film was interesting and emotionally and intellectually gripping. This perhaps is not the type of film for the person who wants to see a film to be entertained but more for the person who has an interest in political issues and great performances. Cruise was convincing as a charismatic Senator and Redford had some thought provoking lines.

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Lu & Andy said...

Posted on Nov 11 2007 20:09 Did they honestly think they could pass this off as a film...rather be at home watching Pocoyo

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Ray Hyland said...

Posted on Nov 11 2007 19:39 A film that throws everything at the teflon like issue of American foreign policy. Redford's sojourn into serious drama(the completely unrequired Quiz Show included) is worthy for the performance of both Cruise and Streep in a US senator's office. Streep is as you'd expect,still possibly the greatest living actor of our time, whilst Cruise's manipulative shit eating smile is tempered by a perfectly pitched try out for a presidential nomination. The stories intersperse well but in these days of egopics such as Syriana, Traffic, Crash and Babel you get the feeling that just like in the movie people's hearts and minds will be at first sympathetic then cynical.

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