Avalon

Lions for Lambs

Thursday, April 24, 2008

It was a long overdue title I wanted to watch since last year. The trailer was intriguing and kept me deeply rooted in my seat in the cinemas, and I knew the reason was not because I was part of Organisation A and hence makes it justifiable to be able to empathise with the theme being brought out in the movie. The repetitive questions appear once again: whether there is the need to fight violence with violence? Is the choice to play on the offensive side as a rule of engagement between countries necessarily beneficial? Certain issues were openly discussed too, such as the decision to continue adopting a policy of apathy or getting involved in politics in the hope of changing it from within, and the age-old debate over the morality issue of sacrificing lives for the sake of a greater cause: a nation's pride and the security of her people.

Synopsis

Three stories told simultaneous in ninety minutes of real time: a Republican Senator who's a presidential hopeful gives an hour-long interview to a skeptical television reporter, detailing a new strategy for victory in Afghanistan; two special forces soldiers ambushed on an Afghani ridge await rescue as Taliban forces close in; a poli-sci professor at a California college invites a promising student to re-engage. Decisions press upon the reporter, the student, and the soldiers. The two soldiers were originally students of the professor who willingly made the decision to enlist and participate in the battle in Afghan and as they fight for survival in the field, they become the line that binds the other two stories together.

Great acting, a neatly carved out plot and much food for thought.

Quotes from Lions for Lambs:

"So you think it's better to try and fail than to fail and try?"
"Yes."
"But what is the difference if you end up in the same place."
"At least you did something."

If you don't stand for something, you might fall for everything.

Envoy of the Stars @ 7:17 PM
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