Same "Lamb" photos
This "what do you stand for?" Google/You Tube promotion for Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs (MGM, 11.9), which offers a $25,000 cash prize for the best short political video piece submitted, might raise awareness and get the word going. Maybe. What would really help, I suspect, would be for MGM to release stills that show costars Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise doing something besides sitting in that damn Washington, D.C., office with Cruise instructing/lecturing Streep about the hard choices facing America in the fight against terrorism.
For weeks and weeks I've been looking at the two of them in trailers and stills, wearing those same outfits and talking, talking, talking to each other -- Cruise clenched and focused, Streep doubting and sardonic. Do they do anything else in the film? At all? I'm starting to wonder.
"The lion and the lamb shall lie down together, but the lamb won't get much sleep." -- a quote attributed to Woody Allen.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 1, 2007 at 3:13 PM
comment #1
Geoff
says ...
Holy shit, Redford crosses over into the next room! This is going to be riveting.
Posted by Geoff
at October 1, 2007 3:39 PM
comment #2
christian
says ...
not even a speedboat chase set to moby? damn.
Posted by christian
at October 1, 2007 3:43 PM
comment #3
Me
says ...
I could really go for a thoughtful, dialogue-heavy movie about intelligent people discussing the realistic threats and responses to terrorism, without a whole lot of action. I'll wait for the reiews to see if this is that movie, but Redford's directorial efforts have mostly been superb, so this one is definitely worth keeping an eye open for the reviews.
Posted by Me
at October 1, 2007 3:53 PM
comment #4
Craig Kennedy
says ...
That was funny Christian, but I'm getting the same vibe off this as Wells. I try not to judge a movie by its trailer, but I'm just not buying this one.
Posted by Craig Kennedy
at October 1, 2007 3:54 PM
comment #5
swordandpen
says ...
This movie looks like a lecture. The message comes through loud and clear in the trailer, making seeing the movie unnecessary.
Posted by swordandpen
at October 1, 2007 4:02 PM
comment #6
Walter Sobchak
says ...
How about fewer scenes featuring Robert Redford's creepy plastic surgery?
Posted by Walter Sobchak
at October 1, 2007 4:06 PM
comment #7
JD
says ...
As I've posted here repeatedly in the past -- and as anybody who has read the script knows -- the answer is yes, Streep and Cruise spend the entire movie in that room. The movie is basically three long scenes intercut. Seriously. Streep interviews Cruise, Redford talks to a student, and two of Redford's former students engage in combat in the Middle East. That's the whole thing and, to tell you the truth, it pretty much works... on the page anyway.
Posted by JD
at October 1, 2007 4:07 PM
comment #8
christian
says ...
if only SLEUTH and MY DINNER WITH ANDRE and SECRET HONOR had less damn...yapping!
don't EVEN get me started on ROPE or 12 ANGRY MEN...
Posted by christian
at October 1, 2007 4:19 PM
comment #9
Craig Kennedy
says ...
On paper that doesn't sound horrible to me, but the trailer...
Posted by Craig Kennedy
at October 1, 2007 4:20 PM
comment #10
BCU
says ...
I've read the script. It doesn't work. It's horrible. For the $XX million they spent on this movie, they could have just sent a postcard to every man, woman and child in America with the message: "Robert Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep are concerned about the direction the country is headed. Sincerely, Hollywood." And "Lions" is only the beginning of the Issue Movie deluge.
Posted by BCU
at October 1, 2007 4:21 PM
comment #11
PerfectTommy
says ...
"Rope" you say, Christian? That's Hitchcock isn't it? Must be dated and irritating.
Posted by PerfectTommy
at October 1, 2007 4:25 PM
comment #12
Mr. Gittes
says ...
Has Cruise ever matched his Born on the Fourth of July performance? Magnolia maybe but...hmmmm...not so sure. And why is that?
Posted by Mr. Gittes
at October 1, 2007 4:36 PM
comment #13
malibugigolo
says ...
Redford's character in the script makes a couple snide remarks about the kid's Reyn Spooner.
That's going way too far Bob.
Lay off the Spooner.
Also I look forward to the howler of a line, all oak trees were once acorns.
Should be a great comedy.
Posted by malibugigolo
at October 1, 2007 4:52 PM
comment #14
MarcusF
says ...
zzzz....
Posted by MarcusF
at October 1, 2007 4:53 PM
comment #15
Stephe96
says ...
You guys are forgetting about the brilliant, sustained 10-minute sequence in which Cruise rummages around his top drawer for a paper-clip. It was all done in one shot, too. No CGI.
Posted by Stephe96
at October 1, 2007 6:26 PM
comment #16
christian
says ...
ROPE is my favorite hitchcock film. i'm partial.
Posted by christian
at October 1, 2007 6:49 PM
comment #17
PerfectTommy
says ...
Rope isn't my favorite Hitchcock (which would be either Shawdow of a Doubt or Strangers on a Train) but it is very, very good.
Posted by PerfectTommy
at October 1, 2007 7:12 PM
comment #18
JD
says ...
This is an ingeniusly meta thread that people will only appreciate once they've seen this film. More than anything, Lions For Lambs is a critique of complacent Americans who are more interested in cracking wise about celebrities than important, life-and-death stuff like, you know... war. Redford would be beside himself with glee if he read quotes like MarcusF's priceless "zzzz...." You are the subject of this film, Mr. F. It is for you, about you, and -- for that very reason -- has absolutely no chance of getting through to you.
Posted by JD
at October 1, 2007 8:03 PM
comment #19
frankbooth
says ...
Rope has the best fake moving clouds of any Hitchcock film.
Posted by frankbooth
at October 1, 2007 8:48 PM
comment #20
Heleno
says ...
But the whole point is that it's a single conversation between the two, isn't it? There's very little else that either does in the movie I believe. Same with Redford's chat with his student - the only real movement is for the two soldiers. And from what I've seen, it's a little more balanced, and less polemic, than people seem to be giving it credit for.
Posted by Heleno
at October 2, 2007 1:44 AM
comment #21
malibugigolo
says ...
"It is for you, about you, and -- for that very reason -- has absolutely no chance of getting through to you"
Reading it the message was that it was ok for the 4th estate to lie if the ends justified the means; college students should care about getting a B in a class that will have no meaning sixths months later; Spooners are the new Marxists social class signifier. There is nothing to get. Unless you think the only cure for apathy is to join Moveon.org. I don't.
Posted by malibugigolo
at October 2, 2007 3:58 AM
comment #22
Reedyb
says ...
Gutenberg. That's what this movie needs. Otherwise it's a high thread count failure.
Posted by Reedyb
at October 2, 2007 5:25 AM
comment #23
Jamie
says ...
Redford is coming to the University of Pennsylvania next week (I believe October 10th) to screen the movie and do a Q and A. I was excited, but now I'm just concerned that seeing him in a different room/outfit might throw me off.
Posted by Jamie
at October 2, 2007 11:54 AM