Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Peña,
Andrew Garfield, Peter Berg, Kevin Dunn, Derek Luke, Larry Bates, Christopher May, David Pease, Heidi Janson, Christopher Carley
Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 88 minutes
Directed by Robert Redford
Lions For Lambs? Fishing For Oscars might have been a more accurate title, so blatantly does Robert Redford’s political drama wear its heart on its sleeve. And, with heavyweight performances from Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise and Redford himself powering this three-pronged tale forward, it will undoubtedly get the Academy’s attention. But will it find an audience? That remains to be seen.
The heart of the story is the war on terror as seen from three angles: Dr. Malley, a professor (Redford) whose inspirational speaking has caused two students to sign up to fight; the two students in question (Michael Pena and Derek Luke), now on the front line of a new military initiative; and Senator Jasper Irving (Cruise), a Presidential-hopeful and the man behind the new initiative who’s trying to justify his thinking to a journalist (Streep). It’s an interesting structure, and shows the human consequences of decisions that are made.
‘The problem is not with the people who started this thing,’ announces Malley, ‘the problem is with us who do nothing.’ The target is thus the apathetic masses who now switch over the War on Terror because, well, it’s been going on for six years and, ooh, Neighbours is on the other side. If the apathetic masses could see this film, they’d maybe find something to make them think. However, the apathetic masses are notable for a couple of traits: they’re apathetic and, er, they do it en masse.
The result then, while a lean and efficient piece of film-making – Redford packs a lot into 90 minutes – falls between two stools. The spoonfeeding approach is fine for the mass audience, but they won’t be roused to see it. Instead, the audience will be those already au fait with the issues herein, and they’re going to find it all rather patronising.