Image copyright © by Marcus Trahan

Lions For Lambs

(2007)

Reporter Meryl Streep is interviewing Senator Tom Cruise (now there’s a frightening thought!) about a new, “guaranteed to work” strategy in Afghanistan. In the meantime, two grunts on the ground are getting killed implementing that strategy as it fucks up from the git-go. At the same time, poly-sci Prof. Robert Redford is trying to convince a disillusioned student that he can make a difference. We soon discover that the two grunts were his students, too. Sounds interesting, and it’s not. Who knew that you could make a movie that I completely agree with, politically, and somehow miss the most important thing, which is to entertain us? Even Michael Moore, who is known to hammer his points home, knows he has to entertain us. This feels more like a Sunday talk show or a talking-head documentary than a drama. I might have enjoyed reading the script more than seeing the movie … but maybe not.