Lions for Lambs
Having found "Rendition" to be good without being brilliant, I went along to see "Lions for Lambs" with much lower expectations, especially as several reviews had labelled it as nothing more than a talkathon.
I have to say that I thought this was simply wonderful, and - if I had been watching it on DVD - I would have happily sat down and watched the entire thing again.
The story is a series of conversations - with a bit of action thrown in via the Afghanistan war - with Republican Senator Tom Cruise trying to sell a new strategy in Afghanistan to Meryl Streep's suspicious journalist, who is wary of the press rolling over in the same way as they did before the war in Iraq. This is juxtaposed with political lecturer Robert Redford attempting to explain to a brilliant young student why he should not disengage from the political process, while two of Redford's other proteges fight in Afghanistan.
The performances are simply brilliant - with Streep especially proving yet again what a powerhouse she is - and the greatest thing of all is that none of the arguments are sold short.
Cruise's Republican Senator makes strong arguments and there is no point where one side is shown to have achieved moral victory over the other.
More than anything it's a plea to engage in politics because, as Redford's character says, "They bank on your apathy, they build strategies around it."
I thought it was simply brilliant and would highly recommend that you see it. I'd also be very interested for any feedback from anyone else who takes the time to view this.
Here's the trailer to whet your appetite:
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