2:37min

Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise) is closely involved with a secret military operation in Afghanistan. Martin Bell, former journalist and MP, shakes his head: “Senators don't make defence policy.”

4:01min

Irving offers the TV journalist Janine Roth (Meryl Streep) an exclusive on the operation. He reminds MP Clare Short of Alastair Campbell, who would “play journalists like an orchestra”. Bell adds: “The White House does that with its press corps, too.”

5:12min

The operation involves two idealistic university graduates who have signed up to fight for the US army. “We're not as fortunate in having two bright people like that. A lot of people join the Army because they have no other choice,” says Lt Andrew Joyce, who has served in Afghanistan. “One is Hispanic and the other black - these are often the people who sign up in America,” points out Lyndsey German, convenor of the Stop the War coalition.

17:08min

The soldiers' aircraft is hit by a Taleban missile and they crash. “They don't seem to be that accurate in real life,” Lt Joyce says with a grin.

22:24min

They lie in the snow. “You'd treat your wounds and get into cover,” insists Lt Joyce.

25:09min

Is Irving telling the truth? “Politicians are brilliant at believing what they want to believe,” Bell says. “Blair meant it when he said it,” agrees Short.

39:04min

The media are also implicated in the war, Irving insists. “A lot of the US media do feel that,” Short says.

61:01min

“We have a moral obligation” to fight in Afghanistan, says Irving. “Can we have a moral obligation?” wonders Lt Joyce. “Are we not too detached from their lives?” “You look at the polls and the majority of people want the troops out of Afghanistan within a year,” German says.

66:50min

Roth returns to the office and has an hysterical debate with her editor. Bell shakes his head: “He would have said, ‘Get in front of a computer, show me what you've got.'”

VERDICT

Roth's frustration with the ratings-led pressures of modern news struck a chord with Bell, but he found her interaction with her boss more problematic. The war debates “lacked punch” according to German and Lt Joyce thought the military scenes “bypassed reality”, but Short conceded that the contempt of some characters for politicians was typical of our age.

Lions for Lambs is out to buy on DVD on Monday

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