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Lions for Lambs
During the Second World War, cinema was a powerful weapon for Britain and Germany in the battle for the hearts and minds of the public. A weekly trip to the local picture house became a simple yet effective way to disseminate propaganda to the masses; bolstering morale and carefully shaping public opinion, thereby ensuring a united effort in the face of adversity. In the modern age, with the advent of the internet and 24-hour news, cinema has become reactive rather than proactive. It is a powerful medium to criticise the upper echelons of power who dictate policy, sending young men and women off to war in the name of freedom and democracy.
Lions For Lambs is the latest drama about the conflict in the Middle East, and the responsibilities born by the men in suits on Capitol Hill. Screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan, who also penned the thriller The Kingdom, trudges over familiar territory - war is bad, politicians lie, the media is culpable - taking his own good time to bludgeon us with the underlying messages.
The film opens in Washington DC, where veteran TV reporter Janine Roth (Meryl Streep) is granted an exclusive audience with presidential hopeful Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise, pictured left). He discloses details of a brand new offensive in the Middle East, certain to shift the conflict back in favour of America and its allies. "When does it start?" asks Janine. "Ten minutes ago," responds Irving.
In California, college professor Stephen Malley (Robert Redford) calls talented student Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield) to his office, to challenge the youngster about his commitment to the course. The discussion begs uncomfortable questions about Todd's future as Malley waxes lyrical about two former students, Arian Finch (Derek Luke) and Ernest Rodriguez (Michael Pena), who are on a tour of duty with their unit in Afghanistan. Hostile ground forces close to Basra force Finch and Rodriguez to ditch behind enemy lines with limited ammunition to repel the advancing Iraqis. Their commanding officer (Peter Berg) watches in horror via satellite as insurgents encircle the stricken US soldiers, preparing to attack.
Lions For Lambs is extremely worthy and heartfelt, and Robert Redford's film will certainly appeal to voters in the end of year awards, not least for another tour de force performance from Streep. She acts Cruise off the screen and the segments with Redford and Garfield are similarly unbalanced, in favour of the younger actor. But this timely triptych, witnessing the horrors of the War Against Terror from different perspectives, is a political and emotional lightweight. Moreover, it's manipulative, engineering a tragic resolution that perpetuates the senseless cycle of bloodshed. The characters' suffering extends far beyond their 92 minutes on screen.
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