Review of Lions for Lambs (2007) by Troy M — 28 Nov 2009

OVERLOOKED GEM REC: Cinema serves primarily to entertain - and, since it speaks to the human condition, it can also enlighten. In some instances, and only with our tempered allowance, it can educate. "Lions for Lambs" manages a delicate balancing act of all three. It is a smart and yes profound film, as singular a movie about this moment in time as any could be made, and one that examines the issues of war, politics, and activism from a number of cagey directions. There are those that may quickly want to dismiss this as propaganda, but I would implore you to look closer and listen more attentively.

Yes, there is discussion about the war in Iraq and the decisions of our government since 9/11. But both voices sound right in this dialogue. Carnahan's script is after much more than partisan name calling. There is a military operation, with a focus on two recruits who enlist because being involved in our military policy, in the most fundamental way, is where they believe the heart of the debate is right now - where the questions that define our future are being asked. Note that this is different than saying "I fight because we're right and they're wrong". Both of these stories overlap with a third that basically glues them together. It is of a professor, played by director Redford, meeting with a student who he tries to nudge in the direction of fulfilling his potential. He delivers a key line near the end: "Promise and potential are very fickle." The film itself is nearly all dialogue, and in that construct it makes its most salient point. You know, that one about talking versus doing. This is an important and moving film, filled with the kind of intelligent discussion about the state of the world and our individual place in it that we often fail to get from any news source, no matter its political leanings.