By Lubna Abdel-Aziz It has been quite a spell since this pen has found a cinematic feature that warranted its attention. Addicted to excellence, it instinctively resists anything less. Now, it is in a euphoric state,as it tackles a first rate ideological war drama that provokes and questions the legitimacy of the America's role in Afghanistan leaving up to the audience to fill in the gaps. At the helm one actor/director/superstar known to make you think before you swoon at his golden good looks, Robert Redford. Lions for Lambs uses the war as a catalyst for three very personal stories that come together in a dramatic heart-stirring encounter. A broadcast journalist chases a hot story under intense pressure, while two brave soldiers sent on a secret perilous mission are all connected to one young man, probing the real power of "freedom, belief, and commitment." The iconic list of stars besides Redford includes the magnificent Meryl Streep and the mega box-office bombshell Tom Cruise. Between them, they keep everything flowing easily, artfully, and earnestly. It is the Redford presence that excites us about Lions of Lambs. Although he had not directed a film in seven years, when the screenplay written by Mathew Michael Carnahan ( The Kingdom ) crossed his desk, it immediately struck a nerve. "It came out of the blue" said Redford, and never left. A man of strong political convictions, he prefers to call it a human, rather than a war drama, which "dares the audience to question and feel." Those are the films that linger on, well after we leave the theatre. The irresistible element is the presence of Cruise as the slick Senator Irving. "The idea of Tom playing a senator was so intriguing," commented Redford, while Cruise also gushing with pride, "it was always a dream of mine to work with him." So enthused, Cruise also produced the picture. Too few stars live for more than their stardom. Too few bother to form thoughts or deeds that stay with us beyond glamour and glitter. Redford is in a class by himself. Free from Hollywood hysterics and mass media mania, Redford is a man with a cause, if not many causes. It is not his golden boy looks, or matinee idol status, which he has come to hate. It is rather his thoughtfulness, compassion and enthusiasm. His choice of projects is seldom senseless. Since his first huge hit Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), followed by The Sting (1973), Redford carved his permanent niche in our hearts. There was more -- The Great Gatsby (1974) , Three Days of the Condor (1975) , All the President's Men (1976) , The Natural (1984), Out of Africa (1985), The Horse Whisperer (1998). After a long hiatus, he comes back roaring like a lion in lambs clothing. Born in Santa Monica California, August 18th 1937 to a simple milkman, he attended the University of Colorado and studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, then headed for Broadway before Hollywood wooed him, when Sydney Pollack cast him in a small part in War Hunt in 1961. Oscar winning motion picture director, actor, producer, business man, model, environmentalist, and philanthropist, his directorial debut Ordinary People won him an Oscar in 1984. He received an Honorary Oscar in 2001, a Screen Director Life Achievement Award (1995) as well as seven Golden Globes for acting and directing. Cruise constantly raves about his director: "a true maverick American director who has changed and defined so much of modern cinema with his championing of the independent film movement." This indeed may be his lasting legacy, the establishment of the Sundance Film Institute, built on his own private property in Utah. Once known as Temphagen, it was renamed Sundance after the outlaw character he played in his classic film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). The Institute is dedicated to supporting emerging screen writers and directors, as well as new independent cinema. The Sundance Film Festival, a program of the Institute is developing into a major world film arena. Besides the Film Festival Redford and his Associates also launched the Sundance Cinema, Sundance Catalogue, and Sundance TV Chanel, which airs independent films. That is the inspiration of one single actor, once known for no more than his golden looks. Redford has made his political leanings common knowledge. His zeal for protecting the environment has won him numerous awards, and he is considered one of the world's major environmentalists. He has escaped the Hollywood lifestyle and makes his home in Utah, near his famous Sundance Lake. He is deeply moved by the plight of the Native Americans, now known as American Indians, Their welfare is another one of his pet projects. His personal life is personal, and lacks the sensationalism which accompanies stardom. He is a man with a purpose who made a difference and a lasting contribution doggedly, fiercely and quietly. A perfect combination of a lion and a lamb! There is nothing that war has achieved, that we could not better achieve without it. Havelock Ellis (1859-1939)
