Susan Granger’s review of “Lions for Lambs” (MGM/UA)
Ripped from today’s headlines, Robert Redford’s latest political thriller is a no-holds-barred indictment of recent U.S. foreign policy and George W. Bush’s seemingly endless “war on terror.”
As political science professor, Stephen Malley (Redford) is trying to motivate an extraordinarily bright but undisciplined student (Andrew Garfield), two of his former students (Derek Luke, Michael Pena), both idealists from underprivileged backgrounds, have enlisted as Army rangers and are engaged in a dangerous firefight in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Janine Roth (Meryl Streep), a skeptical veteran television reporter, is interviewing charismatic Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise) who, despite repeated denials, has Presidential ambitions. Right now, he’s revealing the U.S.’s new strategy of sending small Special Forces teams into to the mountains in Afghanistan to prevent Sunni and Shia insurgents from uniting. He’s so convincing in his logic that it’s terrifying.
Utilizing Matthew Michael Carnahan’s terse, intelligent script, deftly edited by Joe Hutshing, and eliciting frighteningly authentic performances from Cruise and Streep, Redford meshes multiple storylines, condemning media manipulation and public apathy and imploring Americans to take some responsibility for what’s happening.
The title comes from a W.W.I German general’s comment about the bravery of British troops and the ineptitude of their leaders: “Never have I seen such lions led by such lambs”.or as anguished Prof. Malley puts it, “where our courageous soldiers are put at risk by leaders who’ve never bled in a fight.”
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Lions for Lambs” is a defiant, compelling 10. What distinguishes this from other recent war movies is that it’s about far more than the tragic skirmish that takes place on the snowy mountainside. It’s provocative entertainment that makes you think.
(PERSONAL NOTE: My son, Don Granger, is president of MGM/UA.)
