Review of Lions for Lambs (2007) by Evan S — 10 Feb 2010

Lions for Lambs is a far more interesting premise, and perhaps a very good screenplay, than it is translated to celluloid.

In an attempt to tell 3 stories and intertwine them in the primary narrative, the film ends up shortchanging all of them. Story A is essentially a conversation between a liberal reporter played by Meryl Streep and an up-and-coming Republican Senator played by Tom Cruise. This is probably the most interesting of the stories presented by the film.

Story B is basically a professor-student conference between Robert Redford and Andrew Garfield, about a student's increasing apathy to his studies and the world around him, despite the Prof seeing worlds of potential in him.

Story C is about two college students (who were also in Redford's class) played by Derek Luke and Michael Pena who enlist in the Army to fight in the Iraq war.

If the movie had stuck with Stories B and C and given them more screen time, this might have worked better. Or if it had expounded upon the events in Story A. But the combination of all 3 just doesn't seem to work in what feels like a sort of Broadway play on film, that can't sustain interest.