It''s Saturday and it''s cold, and so far I have watched four movies. It''s only 6pm. The third of my four conquests for
today is Lions for Lambs , the Robert Redford-directed drama about the Iraq war and the U.S. government in general. While not an incredible movie, Lions for Lambs is on par with other Redford films of late: decent, unique but not perfect by any means.
Lions for Lambs has a clear political message, and Redford delivers that message with conviction. I give Redford credit for making a film like this; it is unconventional while designed to cater to mainstream audiences. It''s a shame more people didn''t see this film in theaters, as it is engaging and thought provoking, and says what a lot of people are thinking (at least us smart liberals).
The movie offers good performances from everyone involved, including Redford, Michael Peña, Derek Luke, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. Cruise is especially fun to watch; he gets the most intriguing character, that of a senator who is trying to sell a reporter (Streep) on a new strategy that will win the war in Afghanistan. Cruise brings the intensity we come to expect from him, yet pulls back just a little to deliver one of the more intriguing characters in recent memory; his entire performance is delivered in the confines of a single room, and it''s hard to tell whether he truly believes 100% that his new plan is right, or if he''s just trying to pitch a new policy to win over Americans and get himself elected into a higher office. Streep plays off him well, though this is one of her simpler roles.