Review of Lions for Lambs (2007) by John K — 28 Jul 2009

I vaguely expected this movie to be preachy and about intrigue, political manoeuvering, and, of course, a fictionalised version of the War on Terror.

Instead, it is a movie about the actual War on Terror, but not preachy, and with political intrigue not at all at its core. The movie comprises of three plotlines: A teacher and his student, talking about potential; a senator and a reporter, talking about a new offensive in Afghanistan; and two soldiers, taking part in that very offensive. (There is a fourth, very brief plotline, showing how the two soldiers got to where they are at the start).

The plots do not converge in a cheesy way, as would be usual for this type of film. The movie is not without convergence, but keeps it quite subtle and elegant. The main bulk of the film is people talking - which sounds slightly offputting, but turns out to be a pleasure to watch. (Watching this film made me miss BP debating immensely, to be honest).

Most of the characters are richly drawn, intelligent, multidimensional and not easily defined or black/white good/evil. There is an exception: Robert Redford's character is the most stereotypical of the lot, and more one-dimensional than any of the others. (The two soldiers are not necessarily multidimensional, but they are definitely intriguing at one point).

All in all, this movie surprised me by being more entertaining, clever, and enjoyable than I ever expected. Yes, it is talky, almost to the point where it would suit a theatre better than a screen, but it is also pretty damn good.