or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
75 used & new from £0.62
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Lions For Lambs [DVD] [2007]
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images

Lions For Lambs [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Meryl Streep
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
RRP: £19.99
Price: £3.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £16.00 (80%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Items for dispatch to UK will be sold by Amazon's Preferred Merchant. (Why?)

30 new from £1.90 43 used from £0.62 2 collectible from £2.89
Learn about Lovefilm
Amazon's choice for DVD rental. With a 14 day FREE trial. Learn more

Watch a Related Video
02:29
 
   

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this item with Charlie Wilson's War [DVD] [2007] DVD ~ Tom Hanks

Lions For Lambs [DVD] [2007] + Charlie Wilson's War [DVD] [2007]
Price For Both: £7.99

Show availability and delivery details

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Lions For Lambs [DVD] [2007]
77% buy the item featured on this page:
Lions For Lambs [DVD] [2007] 3.4 out of 5 stars (15)
£3.99
Rendition [DVD] [2007]
8% buy
Rendition [DVD] [2007] 3.2 out of 5 stars (38)
£3.39
Charlie Wilson's War [DVD] [2007]
6% buy
Charlie Wilson's War [DVD] [2007] 3.1 out of 5 stars (43)
£4.00
In The Valley Of Elah [DVD] [2008]
5% buy
In The Valley Of Elah [DVD] [2008] 4.1 out of 5 stars (45)
£4.99
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Actors: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Andrew Garfield, Derek Luke, Tom Cruise
  • Directors: Robert Redford
  • Format: Anamorphic, PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: MGM Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: 21 April 2008
  • Run Time: 88 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B0012OTS2O
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 17,511 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

The considerable authority of Robert Redford pulls some heavyweight talent into Lions for Lambs, a rare Hollywood foray into flat-out political filmmaking. Three dramas, all connected, play out simultaneously during the same hour: On a mountainside in Afghanistan, two U.S. soldiers (Michael Pena and Derek Luke) find themselves stranded during a new military surge; on Capitol Hill, a Republican senator (Tom Cruise) tries to sell the new strategy to a seasoned reporter (Meryl Streep); and in California, a professor (Redford) tries to light the fire of commitment in an increasingly apathetic college student (Andrew Garfield).

Director Redford cuts back and forth amongst these arenas, a gambit which thankfully obscures how weak the one non-talkfest (the Afghanistan segment) really is. You can tell Redford and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan put their juice in the debate between Cruise and Streep, which summarizes Right and Left views on the Middle Eastern wars, and does so reasonably lucidly--although there is little here that would surprise anyone who has looked into the subject. The college section suggests Redford's belief that there are lots of people, distracted by tabloid culture and self-centeredness, who haven't looked into the subject. So he lectures us about it, sounding suspiciously like an old geezer remembering the good old days. If this film had been released in 2004, it might at least have bucked majority opinion, but coming out in the autumn of 2007, it already felt like old news. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

Synopsis

Robert Redford directs and stars in this ode to political activism. Boasting a powerhouse cast that also includes Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise, the film features three storylines centred on the Iraq war. Cruise is Jasper Irving, a rising Republican senator who has summoned Janine Roth (Streep), the head journalist at a large news corporation, to sell her on the government's new military strategy. It's his hope that she in turn will sell the public on the idea. Meanwhile, a history professor (Redford) is trying to convince one of his more promising students to strive to make a difference in the world. Professor Malley believes Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield) to be a bright young man, and he wants to know why Todd has become so apathetic about his schoolwork, and, after the two banter back and forth about the nature of activism, Malley tells him about two of his former students, Ernest and Arian (Michael Pena and Derek Luke), both of whom are currently serving in Iraq. Unbeknownst to Malley, at that very moment, Ernest and Arian are engaging in the exact military strategy that Senator Irving is discussing with Roth. Their mission has just gone terribly awry, and the men have fallen into enemy territory. So the senator and journalist argue, the professor and student debate, and all the while the wounded soldiers wait desperately for rescue. These disparate storylines slowly build and converge, culminating in a blaring statement about civic responsibility and social conscience.
Cruise and Streep are a delight to watch, and their battle of words gives the most heat to the film. As one might expect, it casts an extremely critical eye at the state of American politics in the opening decade of the 21st century. However, it veers toward hope and a call to action. Redford, himself a longtime activist, appears to be sending an open letter to America: turn off the celebrity coverage and get involved.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Rendition [DVD] [2007]

Rendition [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Jake Gyllenhaal
3.2 out of 5 stars (38)  £3.39
Charlie Wilson's War [DVD] [2007]

Charlie Wilson's War [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Tom Hanks
3.1 out of 5 stars (43)  £4.00
Breach [DVD] [2007]

Breach [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Chris Cooper
4.1 out of 5 stars (20)  £4.81
In The Valley Of Elah [DVD] [2008]

In The Valley Of Elah [DVD] [2008]

DVD ~ Charlize Theron
4.1 out of 5 stars (45)  £4.99
We Own the Night [DVD] [2007]

We Own the Night [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Joaquin Phoenix
3.3 out of 5 stars (19)  £3.97
› Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(3)
(2)
(1)
(1)
Agree with these tags?

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Earnest but uninvolving, 14 May 2008
By Mr. Stephen Kennedy "skenn1701a" (Doha, Qatar) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)   
You know those movies that you watch, and find so compelling you say to people `you HAVE to see this movie...'? Well, this movie aims for this, but alas merely reaches the heights of `Yeah, it's worth watching...'.
The film revolves around 3 storylines, essentially taking place simultaneously, and in real time, but this structure is not religiously adhered to as there are also some flashbacks. In Washington, a senior Senator rumoured to be a potential Presidential candidate, invites a respected journalist from a major TV news network, to give her an exclusive on the latest tactics being used in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, that push is shown through the eyes of two soldiers in the Special Forces, as the mission goes wrong and they are stuck behind enemy lines. The final strand is in a University, as the professor Robert Redford talks to a student full of potential but with more than enough cynicism and apathy to go with it. He shares his experience with the story of the two Special Forces soldiers, who were students of his and left to `go make a difference'.
It's a movie brimming with talent to be sure, with Robert Redford directing and Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep acting their socks off.. Cruise does give a compellingly convincing portrayal of a senior politician, convinced of his moral high ground but using it to further his career as much or if not more than doing the right thing. Streep also gives a performance which at times seems just a little too self consciously rounded, when something stripped down to basics would have done just as well. Her tics and mannerisms would have been better served in a movie which focused on her character. Redford is.. well, simply Redford.
The script, when we hear the characters debating with each other (which is most of the movie - don't go expecting an action flick whatever you do..) is intelligent and gets across its message clearly enough. Engagement is needed - apathy is a recipe for disaster, whether it be apathy on an individuals part or on the part of the media. Clumsy parallels to Vietnam are made. However, we don't have time to warm to any of the characters, neither are arcs to the characters developed, such that the movie ultimately feels like a lecture - something that a documentary could have done as well - or even better, using actual facts instead of drama.
Worth watching for some good performances and literate script, but should have been much more. How did such interesting talent combine to make such a mediocre product - is making a statement on war so much at odds with good film-making these days?
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Clever anti-war propaganda, 7 May 2008
By W. Hutchinson "whutchin2" (Perth, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
I was surprised at some of the reviews. This propaganda film was made for America and portrays America as it wants to see itself. All the elements of patriotism are there: Cruise as the Bush-supporting politician who has his version of the world, Redford as the slightly cynical activist lecturer and Streep as a `middle of the road' but anti war journalist. All the American based issues about the 'War on Terror' are there. It is totally from the American mindset and its message is not as powerful to European eyes, but you have to admit that as piece of anti-war propaganda for American audiences, it is brilliantly done. American films on this issue are usually less than subtle so with that in mind, this movie is quite innovative. This has all the hallmarks of this sort of movie: ex-students who sacrifice themselves for the good of the country (confusingly they are anti-war but joined the armed forces) even the (air) cavalry were there but unfortunately were too late to save 'scalps' but did manage to wipe out all the `Indians'. It takes a different spin to pro-war propaganda and as a totally internal piece of American propaganda, I though it was very interesting and well worth watching. Quite brave really for Redford, true it did not go `all the way' with its anti-war message but it did get it across without alienating the `other' side. As such, it is a good political statement for US consumption.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
3.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps a little more subtlety needed, 21 Dec 2009
By Stephen J. Mason "sjmason6074" (isle of arran, scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
It is a bit ironic that a film attacking propaganda should be propaganda itself.

It is an interesting view of the "liberal" side of American politics, that the belief in American omnipotence is unwavering, irrespective of left or right.

The film attacks the war on terror as a waste of human life rather than attacking the basic precepts on what it is based. 9/11 was a convenient excuse for America to get itself into the Middle East and fear is what made people believe it was ok. You would think that they would have realised that you can't win Guerilla wars unless you are prepared to shed the same level of blood as your opposition.

Perhaps the best message of the film comes from Redford's talks with his promising (God help us) student. Daring to attack the youth for their lack of ambition (apart from monetary), moral conscience and ability to realise that they are doing exactly what the establishment want, i.e to be disinterested, self-absorbed and thus no threat to governments, caught up in the endless debt-circle of dis-empowerment.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Lions for Lambs
Knew nothing about this film and found it 'thought provoking'. It took about 15 minutes to understand the characters and the roles they were playing - all done brilliantly... Read more
Published 21 days ago

5.0 out of 5 stars Skillfully woven
Bar the fact that this was very short, the story was skillfully woven between three linking threads. Takes on gritty global issues and grounds them in real lives. Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Haigh

5.0 out of 5 stars From propaganda to prophecy
This is one of the strangest film we can imagine about the end of Dubya's war on terror, alas not the end of the war per se. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jacques COULARDEAU

1.0 out of 5 stars liberal dose of simplicity
Don't get it. Just don't get it. If you have any sense or insight into the world you'll already know all the stuff that this film ponderously pummels into you with dull thudding... Read more
Published 18 months ago by 2cleverbyhalf

3.0 out of 5 stars Folly Of The War On Rhetoric
"Useful new things to be said about the debacle in Iraq are in very short supply. I'm not sure that's what "Lions for Lambs" intends to demonstrate, but it does, exhaustingly... Read more
Published 20 months ago by prisrob

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
I was amazed at how short this film was. It concerns an hour in the lives of several different people and runs for only 20 minutes longer than this. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Charles Gosling

3.0 out of 5 stars very decent movie
one of the better films of last year this is solid and enjoyable with a great performance from tom cruise who reminds us that he can act.worth a look
Published 21 months ago by martin thomas

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed but absorbing
I watched this on DVD last night and was still thinking about it when I woke up this morning. Not, I hasten to add, because any of the views it propounds were new to me, or... Read more
Published 21 months ago by LORRAINE MCCANN

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but important none the less
Possessing Streep, Redford and Cruise (regardless of all sofa-jumping exercises) is an inevitable bonus for any film and one that is used frequently and wisely by the director,... Read more
Published 22 months ago by K. Phair

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh dear!
Hurrah for Redford for attempting to make a film that reflects the anti-war views of sane Americans. But my goodness, he could have done a lot better. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Jones the Film

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject






i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback


Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.