Review of Lions for Lambs (2007) by Mark B — 24 Jan 2009

On summary I'm not sure what to make of this film. It seemed slightly patronizing in places, and through it's continual over use of current political cliches pouring out of the US from both sides, lacked any originality in the dialogue, which only served to frustrate and provoke impatience with the film.

Cruise came across as a quick-fix idealist with no real grasp of reality. Streep came across as a typical intellectual liberal journalist, also failing to grasp the essence of political necessity, the long term implications of pure pacifism.

I liked how by focusing on the survival of two soldiers the situation for the servicemen on operations was personalized, and it may appear that they were a vehicle for illustrating the futility of "...trying to make a difference..." I felt for every soldier through seeing them suffer.

But it still begs the question "Is [all] war bad"?

I also liked the end scene with Redford's pupil with a peer watching a make-up commercial while real news stories were on the moving sub-script at the bottom of the screen, showing through the deliberate contrast the superficiality of the American (western) culture.

For an 86 minute film, it really dragged.