Political statement collapses on itself
Not unlike the politics surrounding the war on terror, “Lions for Lambs” has a stationary plot, lots of talking and ends without resolution.
This film lacks any sort of story line, yet it follows the plight of a political science professor, Stephen Malley, played by Robert Redford.
Malley is deeply involved with one of his students – a frat boy who never attends class. He has an unbelievable amount of faith in his puppy dog-eyed slacker student.
I would think that Redford, a CU alumnus, would better understand the relationship between student and professor. In an ideal world, professors would put an incredible amount of time and energy into changing the minds of their students. However, his tireless involvement seems completely unrealistic. At one point in the movie, he even takes some of his students out for a steak dinner.
The plot also follows an embattled reporter played superbly by Meryl Streep who spends almost the entire movie interviewing Senator Jasper Irving, played by Tom Cruise. Senator Irving is in the business of furthering his political ambitions by proposing a surge of troops to the Middle East.
Meanwhile, two of Malley’s ex-students are in the army fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan. The cinematography and digital animation during the scenes filmed in Afghanistan are done so poorly that it is hard to take the movie seriously.
Redford is making a myriad of political statements about the war, the Bush administration and education. The only problem is that his response to current events came too late.
His politics are not refreshing or eye-opening. They are mere regurgitations of the same story.
While the actors performed well, the script is full of political jargon better intended for a political commentary column than a feature film.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Sarah Stern at sterns@colorado.edu.
