‘Lions for Lambs’

Once upon a time, in a magic land called Hollywood, there was a wise old wizard named Samuel Goldwyn. (He was the "G" in MGM.)

Goldwyn knew many things about making movies and dispensed his wisdom in memorable, malaprop-riddled pronouncements Yogi Berra himself might envy.

On one subject, however, Goldwyn made his views perfectly clear.

"If you want to send a message," he said, "use Western Union." (This was back when folks used Western Union to send telegrams as well as money.)

Alas, the folks behind "Lions for Lambs" didn't get that message.

Which explains its earnest, top-of-the-soapbox approach to America's current war on terror.

Unlike "In the Valley of Elah," "The Kingdom" and "Rendition," however, "Lions for Lambs" doesn't wrap its political arguments in a detailed plot.

Instead, it emerges as a pair of dialogues -- with a third sequence illustrating the consequences of the policies the other characters debate.

There's bound to be at least one character whose opinions you endorse. Whether there's a character you care about is another matter entirely.

At least "Lions for Lambs" benefits from the starry presence of Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise and Robert Redford, who also directs.

We're in good hands with all-stars like these, and "Lions for Lambs" counts on our comfort with them to keep us engaged through all the talk and cross-talk.

It's a tall order -- one "Lions for Lambs" can't always fill.

The movie opens in Washington, D.C., as veteran TV journalist Janine Roth (Streep) arrives for a private audience with Sen. Jasper Irving (Cruise), a rising star in the Republican ranks with a scoop to share.

Seems there's a new plan afoot to break the deadlock in the war on terror: an Army Special Forces operation somewhere in the snowy mountains of Afghanistan, before full-scale fighting resumes following the spring thaw.

And when will this plan be put into action? Inquires Roth, ever the devil's-advocate reporter.

"Ten minutes ago," Sen. Irving says with a grim, steely grin.

Meanwhile, out in sunny California, political science professor Stephen Malley (Redford) summons smart-alecky student Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield) to his office.

The prof wants to know why such a gifted student hasn't been showing up to class -- and, more to the point, why he doesn't seem to care what's going on in a world torn by conflict.

As an example of commitment and involvement, Dr. Malley tells Todd about two of his best and brightest, scholarship students Arian Finch (Derek Luke) and Ernest Rodriguez (Michael Peña).

Those two quit school to put their idealism to the test in the Army. And, at that very moment, they're stranded -- you guessed it -- in an Afghanistan snowfield, preparing to defend themselves against approaching Taliban fighters.

"Lions for Lambs' " title refers to a World War I German officer's comment contrasting the bravery of British soldiers with their shamefully inept commanders.

And screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan fills the movie with all kinds of high-minded ideological debate he undoubtedly had to cut from his kick-butt script for "The Kingdom."

Yet there's almost nothing to "Lions for Lambs" but ideological debate -- whether it's Sen. Irving's pompous pronouncements about America's role as a "force of righteousness" or Dr. Malley trying to light a fire under a promising student who's only too happy to fiddle around while Rome burns.

Reporter Roth, meanwhile, reminisces about the good old days when news was a public service, not a profit center for greedy network bean counters eager to feed viewers the scandal du jour.

As for soldiers Finch and Rodriguez, they're just trying to survive. As a result, they provide "Lions for Lambs" with its most moving moments, literally and figuratively. They're the only ones showing, rather than telling, and their valor under fire shows up the other characters' essential inaction.

To his credit, however, director Redford doesn't try to make "Lions for Lambs" anything it's not.

Aside from the Afghanistan sequences, it's a parade of talking heads. They're handsome, intelligent heads, to be sure, captured with crisp precision by cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, who won an Oscar for filming Redford's 1993 "A River Runs Through It."

And all three stars certainly know how to talk. Cruise deploys his character's slick self-righteousness with "Top Gun"-caliber confidence, while Redford's professor expertly blends impassioned liberalism, laid-back charm -- and just a touch of finger-wagging arrogance. Streep, meanwhile, captures the ambivalence of a cynical reporter who's seen it all -- but can't resist the possibility of scoring yet another blockbuster headline.

Meanwhile, the war grinds on, as thousands of earnest young warriors like Finch and Rodriguez put their lives on the line. "Lions for Lambs" is guaranteed to spark more questions about what they're fighting for -- and why they're fighting at all. But it offers no answers, easy or otherwise.

Contact reporter Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0272.