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SCMP Reporter

Lions for Lambs Political drama
Robert Redford currently has more wrinkles than anyone in Hollywood, and in Lions for Lambs - a political drama that he directs and in which he plays a political science professor - he shows that he is also the most talkative person on screen.
The characters, who discuss in pairs, include Redford's character and a university student (Andrew Garfield), two US soldiers in Afghanistan (Derek Luke and Michael Pena) as well as a Republican senator (Tom Cruise) who plots the war and a veteran TV reporter (Meryl Streep) who sells the war.
They keep talking back and forth to each other without reaching any conclusions. But who could blame them? They are talking about media and political ethics, activism as well as American wars abroad.
These are thorny issues, and Redford is smart enough to know that there are no easy answers.
His film aims to provide food for thought, and despite his rather stagey direction, the movie is at times inspiring and touching.
By tying the three plot strands together, the movie gives us a sad picture of how the world operates.
While the soldiers are critically injured and stranded on a mountain, Cruise's politician character - in the jaunty spirit of a hustler as if he is starring in a toothpaste commercial - is busy selling a new war plan to the media.
Meanwhile, the professor is telling his most talented and cynical student, who is too smart to be fooled by politicians in the Congressional office, not to lose hope and to doing something. Rome is burning, the professor - who taught the two soldiers a couple of years ago - says with a sense of urgency.
But how can we help? Redford seems to be advocating activism here, although the director is not without his doubts as he ends the movie in tragedy.
It's true that the movie isn't saying much of anything, but at least it shows us how bad the world is in an attempt to get us off our backsides.
Lions for Lambs is one long speech about America. It may be long and wordy, but it's worth listening to.
Lions for Lambs is now showing



Provoking thoughts on politics