BuzzFlash Reviews

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS

"Lions and Lambs" does an amazing job of tying together the themes BuzzFlash readers are familiar with: the Groundhog day of having the wool pulled over our eyes about war and vital national issues by a de facto collaboration of corporate media and the government -- again and again and again.

You can find the trailer for "Lions for Lambs" on its website.

We found it both mesmerizing and somewhat disheartening because there is no heroic resolution that changes the Repulicrat/big media con job coming out of D.C.

The glimmer of hope lies in young people, as Robert Redford, a university professor in California tries to persuade a lapsed student with great potential to make a commitment to engaging himself in issues that matter.

Many reviewers -- and film goers -- panned "Lions and Lambs" as too preachy, which it isn't really. It is certainly a bit didactic, but in a revelatory way.
We can see how people not intimately familiar with the "great game" of big media reporting unchallenged government propaganda as news might find the film a bit ponderous.

But the other side of the coin is that if you know the stakes and the truth behind what Redford is getting at in "Lions for Lambs," it threads together major themes and seemingly unchallengeable alliances of deception in a manner that is more like an intriguing play.

There are three simultaneous story lines going on simultaneously, including two of Redfords former students who choose to take action by volunteering to fight in Afghanistan. There is Redford trying to "save" a promising student from mediocrity and inspire him to challenge the status quo. And then there is the riveting match-off between Meryl Streep as a television reporter and Tom Cruise as a rising Republican Senator, who is viewed as having presidential ambitions.

In an unexpectedly strong performance by Cruise as the slick Neo-con salesman, we learn that he has summoned Streep to provide her with an exclusive about yet another troop movement that will bring "victory" to U.S. forces. Streep smells a rat, realizes that she is being duped yet again, but there is no way out because her network regards unconfirmed stories provided by U.S. government officials as news -- over and over again.

This is far from an action film; but as much as it bears down on themes familiar to BuzzFlash readers, it is a painfully enlightening and creative one.

Except for the military scenes in Afghanistan, this is a film that relies on verbal duels to advance the interwoven three-part storyline. Yes, there's a lot of talk, but it is intellectual banter that moves forward toward an end that leaves us alone to make the changes necessary in our government.

Because the D.C. insider system is stacked against us. Rebels conform to the corporate interests of the media or lose their jobs. Politicians are not held accountable. There's no room for that in the news cycle and no profit in it.

Idealists who fight for their country are betrayed by self-serving politicians.

It's up to us to take back America.

Remember, if you are looking for an action film, this is not it. But if you want a film that echoes the thoughts in your mind and makes them more coherent, it's well worth watching.

And you've got three fine stars dominating almost the entire film.

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS