Review of Lions for Lambs (2007) by Boris V — 12 Mar 2010

Lions for Lambs features interesting facts and points of view but seems to lack anything of a story.

Lions for lambs is a movie about three stories. First of all, you have two soldiers in Afghanistan (later you will know their identities, because others will tell about them), they are dropped in the mountains because their chopper was shot. There they lay, wounded, waiting for help, while the Taliban draws closer. I didn't like this sideline of the story. Even tough you get to know their stories and you will feel some kind of bond with them, it never gets interesting. It's way too dark to see anything and without anything of a real fight this ends dramatic. This was perhaps the least interesting sideline, because of the lack of any action and deep conversation.

The second sideline is about a journalist, who interviews a senator. The senator presents a new tactic on fighting the Talibani. She is very critic and what follows is an interesting cat-and-mouse-play. She has to make a decision: does she stand up for he her own opinion, or shall she publish what the government wants her to publish? Even tough this may seem as a important choice, there isn't much of a story in this line. It's one long conversation about Iraque and Afghanistan. Interesting as conversation, but not as a movie.

The same goes for the other sideline - the one I liked most. It's about a teacher and his student. He tries to convince his student to make something out of his life. The student is kind of depressed and just has critism, but doesn't change anything himself. The two argue and talk about their lives. Very interesting, but again, not as a movie but as a conversation.

Mainly that's my judgement. The movie features interesting facts and points of view but seems to lack anything of a story. This movie could've been much better.