“The Teeth of the Tiger” by Tom Clancy (Chapter 16 – Chapter 22)

After a successful operation in America, made by the Caruso brothers, Campus thought that they were ready for the next ones. Now that strategy was called reconnaissance by fire. The whole point was that after they whacked one or two terrorists, saw what reaction, if any, results, and would take their guidance from there. But there was only one question whether terrorists’ eliminations going to be overt or covert. That point remained open, as the whole Campus’ attention was attracted by one thing, the weapon; it was a pen. To all appearances, it was an expensive ballpoint, gold-plated, with obsidian on the clip. By depressing the clip and turning the nib cover, the man switched the point from a real pen to a hypodermic with a lethal transfer agent. It would paralyze the victim in fifteen to twenty seconds, and kill him in three minutes, with no cure, and a very transient signature in the body.

   The brothers’ first victim was Uda bin Sali (he bankrolled terrorists’ expense accounts). They had to scout out the target, pick their moment, and make their hit; for that reason Brian and Dominic went to London. They'd have to be clever about that. Uda would probably take the lead, because it would be his job to spot the guy's police tail. But there was no sense in waiting too long, either. They'd looked at Berkeley Square just to get a feel for it, and hoping to eyeball the target. As soon as they so the man, brothers split up, heading in opposite directions; Dominic took out his Chichester map of central London and walked to the police tail; he stopped and turned quickly, gauging the distance from Brian to Sali. Brian would be doing exactly the same thing, and his job was to synchronize movement with his brother, who had the lead. Dominic stopped and turned quickly, gauging the distance from Brian to Sali. Brian would be doing exactly the same thing, of course,and his job was to synchronize movement with his brother, who had the lead. Then Dom’s eyes fixed on the tail. The Brit's eyes noted that, and his gaze shifted as well. Meanwhile Brian went to Sali; his eyes locked on the subject. At a range of three feet, he took half a step right as though to avoid someone who wasn't there at all, and bumped into him. The charge fired, injecting its seven milligrams of succinylcholine into the tissue of the largest muscle on Sali's anatomy; and Brian Caruso kept right on walking. Thus the brothers’ function was performed.

   Their second target was Anas Ali Atef (in Munich), he was thought to be a courier for the opposition, and also worked to recruit talent. There the man met his old friend and went to the mosque. After several minutes both of them went out of the building and walked towards the brothers. Dominic removed the gold pen from the inside pocket of his not-quite-a-suit jacket, furtively twisting the tip to arm it, then holding it in his right hand like an ice pick. He was heading on a close reciprocal course to the subject; Dominic appeared to trip over something, and fell right into the Atef guy; that would have covered the discomfort of the stab.

   The third target, Fa’ad, was in Osterreich; suffered the same fate as the previous ones. But the last mission differed, as in Italy Jack Patrick Ryan, Jr was sent to the twins as an analyst, Besides, he booked the room in the same hotel as their last target (Mohammed), that’s why the team had to change their tactics. Jack had to fulfill this task, with which he handled perfectly.

Individual Reading: "The Teeth of the Tiger": part 4

W.S. Maugham 'In a Strange Land'

William Somerset Maugham (25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s. His partially autobiographical novel Of Human Bondage (1915) is generally acknowledged as his masterpiece and is one of the best realistic English novels on the early 20^th century. Among his best works are The Moon and Sixpence (1919), The Painted Veil (1925), Cakes and Ale (1930) and Cataline: A Romance (1948).

'In a Strange Land'

“The Teeth of the Tiger” by Tom Clancy (Chapter 10 – Chapter 15)

In Las Cruces Mustafa and his friends were given some instructions:  if, during their driving, the American police pulled them over, all they needed to do was to speak politely; if the police asked them to get out of the car, then they had to get out; and they had not go faster than the number on the highway signs (sixty-five miles per hour), not to be pulled over. On the road the group didn’t meet any police car and safely came to the final destination, where they stopped in a Hotel, having decided to have a little rest before starting their mission.

   Meanwhile, Brian and Dominic Caruso got another mission to track agent Michelle Peters without being spotted. There were some rules for them - if the brothers got close enough without being spotted, they won; if she (the agent Michelle Peters) said their name when they two were more than ten feet away, they lost. But just before the mission the twins went to get new shoes for Brian in American Eagle Outfitters, where during the fitting the men heard shots.

The terrorists’ first victim became the security guard; Mustafa held the trigger for but a second, but in that second, a total of nine bullets entered the black man's chest. That time Mustafa’s friend Rafi was in the Victoria's Secret store. The customers there all had to be women; he just pointed and held the trigger down. Three women were immediately hit and went down at once, others just stood still for a second, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief, not taking any action at all. Other two terrorists (Abdullah and Zuhayr) were firing as they went, killing men and women, boys and girls. Brian, facing Rafi, fired off four rounds; all four went into the thorax, below the shoulders; the terrorist’s body was fully of adrenaline and, under such circumstances, the body simply does not feel pain. Dominic was facing another one, Mustafa; the FBI man fired and the first round hit the target's weapon, the second one took him in the chest. That’s two were down. The Marine saw Abdullah, he fired off two aimed shots into the target's chest, saw no effect, and then emptied his magazine; more than twelve rounds entered the man's body. The terrorist was still moving; Brian walked over the body and fired one round right into the back of his head. The skull split open - blood and brains exploded out onto the floor. There was only one of the terrorists; in the Belk's women's store the picture was worth: the floor was defiled by numerous pools of blood, there were screams and whimpers. Zuhayr saw several alive women; and started walking toward one of them. The man tried to fire a single round into her back, but instead rippled off three rounds from a range of one meter. Brian saw the whole thing, and something just came loose; he fired three rounds, one of which got the target right in the belly, and another in center chest. Then the brothers went upstairs to be sure that there were only four terrorists, where they saw a little boy with three hits in his back. Brian turned him over; the eyes were open; but several minutes later they closed. The man gently set the body back on the counter and felt for a carotid pulse; but there wasn’t any. Later the twins knew about another news flash from a place called Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs, Colorado, then came one from Provo, Utah, and finally Des Moines, Iowa; that made it a colossal story.

   Hendly Associates’ member Jack Patrick Ryan, Jr found out that there were only sixteen total terrorists, as he read the content of some of Uda bin Sali’s e-mails and his account supported a bunch of Visa cards (their number was sixteen). The terrorists used them to buy gas across the country, and their trip originated in New Mexico. So Jack tied the man who bankrolled their expense accounts.

Individual Reading: "The Teeth of the Tiger": part 3

Rendering: 'Bear hunting in California: the end of an era'

The article ‘Bear hunting in California: the end of an era’ was published by Rory Carroll in the Guardian on December 2. It reports at length that the controversial practice of hunting bears with dogs is about to be banned in the US state.

   Speaking on hunting bears, it’s necessary to note that about 1,700 black bears out of a population estimated between 23,000 to 39,000 can be legally "harvested" in California each year. Besides, hunters have killed 1,300 bears this season so far, so another 400 remain fair game. It’s necessary to note that almost half are done so with the help of hounds. But last month Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill, banning the hunting of bears and bobcats with hounds, which takes effect on 1 January 2013.

    Analyzing the situation with the bill, it’s necessary to emphasize that the practice has been declared archaic and cruel by powerful coalition of animal rights activists and Democrats. The ban will still let hunters kill the same number of bears – but without dogs. There is every reason to believe that pressure is expected to grow for similar bans in the 17 other states that allow hunting with dogs. Besides, it’s interesting to note that the impression of hounds men as heartless louts who persecute wildlife is all the more damning because popular culture depicts their victims as cuddly, honey-loving fur balls: Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear, Yogi Bear, Smokey Bear, Gentle Ben.

    Giving appraisal of the situation, it’s necessary to point out that some animal activists and Democrats are concerned that California's bear population needs to be controlled because it destroys hives, kills deer and marauds into towns, threatening human life and property. Moreover, it is more humane to tree a bear before shooting to determine if it is a suckling sow, and ensure a clean shot. The alternative, shooting from a distance with a telescopic sight, can inadvertently target sows and wound rather than kill, leaving bears to escape to slow, painful deaths. In addition, it’s important to note that animals in the wild don't die easily, as they get sick and wounded, they're killed by younger rivals, they starve. So saving animals from painful death, the human hunter of today is the most humane hunter in history.

   There are signs that some people consider the bill humane, as chopping up and hauling a bear's remains out of the forest is arduous and hunters are permitted only one kill per year so once they take a shot their season is over; that’s why they prefer to take pictures of the bear.

    The article draws a conclusion that it’s poor justification to harass bears to strip away the arguments about conservation, wildlife control and the hypocrisy of meat-eating urbanites, the hunters do what they do largely because their fathers did it, and because it's fun. But at the same time, in many ways, the hunters care more about the woods than most urban opponents admit.

   Having read the article, I was shocked to get to know that the hunters benefit nature, killing animals; and no matter whether they are sick, weak or old. In nature, everything is balanced, everything is taken into account; after all, these animals (mentioned above) "kill" their own kind in order to survive themselves, and killing them ourselves, we break this balance. Besides, I’ve never accepted hunting, as it is cruel and inhuman. It’s an open secret that if in the past, people hunted to feed themselves, to survive; now hunting is only fun (now it is even something like sports). It’s necessary to note the fact that now the bears’ population is big enough, but what will be if almost every allows himself such a "privilege" as hunting - then the population will be reduced. And what will humanity do next? prey on other animals? which in the end will lead to the moment when almost all species are on the verge of extinction.

Rendering: 'How to Save Tropical Rainforests'

The article ‘How to Save Tropical Rainforests’ was published by Rhett Butler on July 22 in Mongabai.com. It reports at length about the ways for saving tropical rainforests.

   Speaking of the global situation, it’s necessary to note that today tropical rainforests are disappearing from the face of the earth, and rainforests continue to be destroyed at a pace exceeding 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) per day. It’s an open secret that deforestation of tropical rainforests has a global impact through species extinction, the loss of important ecosystem services and renewable resources, and the reduction of carbon sinks. However, this destruction can be slowed, stopped, and in some cases even reversed. It’s necessary to note that but the means are not as simple as fortifying fences around the remaining rainforests or banning the timber trade.

    Before looking for the solution, it’s important to point out the reasons of deforestation, as rainforests are being cut mostly for economic reasons, though there are political and social motivations as well. A significant portion of deforestation is caused by poor farmers simply trying to eke out a living on marginal lands. Beyond conversion for subsistence agriculture, activities like logging, clearing for cattle pasture and commercial agriculture are sizable contributors to deforestation on a global scale. Agricultural fires typically used for land-clearing often spread outside cultivated areas and into degraded rainforest regions. Speaking of the solution, it’ necessary to note that the solution must be based on what is feasible, not overly idealistic, and depends on developing a conservation approach built on the principle of sustainable use and development of rainforests.

    Analyzing the situation in looking for the solution, it’s necessary to emphasize that there are several ways for saving rain forests, and the author stresses the importance of following: first of all, we must increase and sustain the productivity of farms, pastures, plantations, and scrub land in addition to restoring species and ecosystems to degraded habitats. By reducing wasteful land-use practices, consolidating gains on existing cleared lands, and improving already developed lands, we can diminish the need to clear additional forest.

 Then it’s payments for ecosystem services, as people will soon pay for the services provided by healthy rainforests. This idea operates as follows: tropical countries receive payments for reducing deforestation and forest degradation rates below a historic, mutually agreed-upon baseline. The payments go toward activities that reduce deforestation, whether its creating alternative livelihoods to slash-and-burn agriculture, subsidizing industrial agricultural expansion on degraded grasslands instead of forests, or providing health care to communities that normally depend on illegal logging to pay for medicine.

 The third way is commodity roundtables, the idea of which is that agricultural producers who abide by certain standards that reduce carbon emissions — like avoiding deforestation — would see higher prices for their products or receive preferential market access, like reduced tariffs.

 The fourth way, mentioned by the author, is corporate sponsorship, which consists in dividing tropical rainforests into blocks and then soliciting funding commitments from international environmental groups, development institutions, corporations, and other credible donors. There would be a bidding process, after which an entity would take responsibility for maintaining forest cover and forest health in each block of the entire forest system.

 Analyzing the following steps for stopping deforestation, it’s necessary to emphasize that the author mentions such steps as: expand protected areas, increase surveillance of and patrols in protected areas and encouraging entrepreneurship.

   In conclusion the author makes it clear that simply banning the timber trade or establishing reserves will not be enough to salvage the world's remaining tropical rainforests. In order for the forest to be preserved, the underlying social, economic, and political reasons for deforestation must be recognized and addressed. Once the issues are brought into the light, the decision can be made about what should be done. If it is decided that rainforests must be saved, then the creation of multi-use reserves that promote sustainable development and education of local people would be a good place to start.

I think that forests’ protection is one of the most important issues (along with limiting of air, water and soil pollution), as forests are the source of our life, in addition, they play an important role for the environment. They help to support the soil and prevent erosion and siltation, forests also absorb carbon dioxide from the air we breathe and release oxygen. The tree is the symbol of the living nature, which reminds us of the importance of preservation of the environment, that’s, humanity is obliged to stop deforestation.  

“The Teeth of the Tiger” by Tom Clancy (Chapter 5 – Chapter 9)

Mohammed and his allies had taken to using their own code words (which was another trap in itself, since codes gave a false sense of security). So when Hassan’s leader received e-mail ("And, Juan, Maria is pregnant. She's having twins"), he had to tell his guest that the operation could begin at once. The guest’s name was Pablo and he ensured the 16 Colombians’ transportation in America.

    Meanwhile, the company Hendly Associates found the men, they were looking for: people who could think on their feet, who were self-starters, and who didn't faint at the sight of blood. Brian (the Marine) and Dominic (the FBI guy) Caruso had killed people out in the real world; in both of cases, they were faced with the unexpected, and both of them handled the situation efficiently. Neither of them had any regrets. So that would be their job: the brothers were going to become professional killers, and their targets would be those who killed innocent people in such a way that conventional procedures cannot handle them. For that reason Pete Alexander trained the brothers. Their first mission was shadowing, though the men nearly failed it, as they were a little close, but only a really sharp-eyed target would have noticed, given the limited time. Besides that Dominic and Brian ran and shot, though the three-mile run wasn't a big deal for the Marine, but for Dominic, who had just maxed out his PT test for the FBI, it had been a bit of a stretch. So they were both doing nicely with the tracking and tailing drills; helped that they were ordinary-looking; the only problem was their conscience, as what they were asked to do was a premeditated murder. Brian usually went into the field with an exquisitely trained sniper under his command, and he knew what they did wasn't far removed from murder, either. But being in uniform made it different. It put some sort of blessing on it. So it wasn’t going to be a fun job, but it would be a job which would serve the interests of their country. Besides, they would have a good cover legend, but no diplomatic protection of any kind; the brothers would live by their wits.

    Hendly Associates picked up not only the two agents, but also Jack Patrick Ryan, Jr, son of the former President John Patrick Ryan. Jack was the job to review known or suspected stringers for unaccountable money transfers. But he was working on eleven different people, all but one of them Middle Eastern, all in the money business, and one of them (Uda bin Sali, an international banker) drew his attention.

Individual Reading: "The Teeth of the Tiger": part 2

Rendering: "How cities are using nature to cut pollution"

The article ‘How cities are using nature to cutpollution’ was published by Jim Robbins in the Guardian on August 23. It discusses the ways for cutting pollution, using nature. 

   It’s important to note that in Puget Sound blowhole samples taken from killer whales (swim not far from more than 3 million people who live in the Seattle region) have revealed fungi, viruses and bacteria living in their respiratory tracts, some of them antibiotic-resistant and once found only on land. It testifies to the fact that the sound is seriously polluted. Besides, when it rains, storm water washes into the same system of underground pipes that carries the region's sewage, and 1 billion gallons a year overflow into the sound when area sewer systems contain more water than can be treated. In addition, motor oil, lawn chemicals, PCBs, heavy metals, pet waste, and many other substances run unabated into the sound, both through the storm water pipes and from roads and other shoreline structures.

 Speaking of the ways for the solution of this problem, it’s necessary to note that Seattle is embracing an innovative solution to storm water runoff called green infrastructure, which experts increasingly say is not only the most cost-effective way to deal with such a large-scale problem, but also offers a range of other benefits. And they consist in following: green infrastructure is the harnessing of the natural processes of trees and other vegetation (so-called ecosystem services) to carry out the functions of the built systems; it often intercepts the water before it can run into streets and become polluted and stores the water for gradual release through percolation or evapotranspiration; besides, it  isn't just about being green, as it makes financial sense.

 Analyzing the situation of green infrastructure’s effectiveness, it’s necessary to emphasize that the Puget Sound city of Coupeville, Washington is experimenting with the use of trees and other plants to clean water to scrub runoff from a large parking lot and housing development. This experiment shows that the water flows first through a bio-swale, which is essentially a drainage ditch with gently sloping sides and rip rap and vegetation that catches silt and sediment. The water flows to a depression, 250 feet by 35 feet, planted densely with poplar and willow trees designed to capture and hold thousands of gallons of runoff a day.

  There’s every reason to believe that this method is really effective and economical, as microbes that live around trees’ roots neutralize the nastiest waste coming off streets, including ammonia, nitrates, and the copper from brake linings. Once the roots work their magic, the water is released for irrigation. In addition, it’s important to note that copper is an essential nutrient for trees, whose roots and hummus can absorb large quantities of the element.

  Giving appraisal of the green infrastructure, it’s necessary to point out other tools, like green roofs (adopted in North America) are living rooftops prairie with seven species of grass and flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and eliminate the need for water treatment facility. The second tool, mentioned in the article, is permeable pavement, which is made of materials that allow water to soak through into the ground instead of running off.

  There are also signs that another way for prevention of pollution is so-cold "wind paths," that  encourage breezes from the surrounding hills to naturally clean and air condition the city.

  But in conclusion the author suggests that in some cases it's not known how well all these technologies will work over time. And one of the biggest hurdles to more widespread implementation is from regulatory agencies, which have a hard time reconciling the new approach with existing regulations. That’s why it’ll take years to change codes and allow new technologies.

   I agree with the author that we have to create new technologies to reduce the amount of pollutants, but I don’t think that the so-called green infrastructure will greatly help. As it’s an open secret that now the amount of emitted pollutants is so great, that this infrastructure simply can’t cope. As a result every time we will have to change the old and "worn out" plants for new ones, which will result in a large amount of money. In addition, this process (planting and cultivation of plants) will take not a year or two, but dozens of years. But nevertheless, we must use any opportunity for the sake of our future generations.

“The Teeth of the Tiger” by Tom Clancy (Prologue – Chapter 4)

The Israeli scout David Gringold was killed by a terrorist group, called Hassan, so having removed a serious threat. As Hassan’s leader Mohammed tried to embody his plan of carryover his people in the US, but could do nothing without any help from the outside. That’s why the group made a deal with the Colombian cartel.

  Meanwhile, a company Hendly Associates (nobody knew its real destination, as officially it was engaged in money transfers, but it had no clients), headed by a former Senator Gerald Paul Hendley, and then Jerome Rounds, became interested in two men: Brian Caruso and Dominic Caruso. Brian was the Captain of The Marine Corps. He did a nice job in Afghanistan for a young officer in his first combat action, when he saved one of his men’s lives. Besides, Brian saved an Agency guy who went into the mountains with him, when they were in ambush. Besides, his language skills were impressive, as his dad was an American citizen (native-born) but his dad came from Italy. So, his father grew up speaking mostly Italian, and a lot of that came down on Brian and his brother. Moreover, both of them took Spanish in high school and college. Dominic was Special Agent of FBI. One day he was looking for a pedophile on a white van, in which a little girl had been kidnapped. The agent found a house, next to which the car was parked, went, but when he saw the girl’s body with her cut throat, realized that he had been late only for an hour. Therefore, he didn’t regret about his future actions: he went to the kitchen, where the murderer was sitting, cocked his leg and kicked the table over. The man grabbed for the butcher knife on the coffee table and even started to rise to his feet. Caruso's finger depressed the trigger of his Smith, sending the first round straight through the subject's heart; two more followed in less than a second. And all this without waiting for the Sheriff’s arrival; and when he came, Caruso outlined a slightly different version of the incident: allegedly, he tripped over the table; the murder saw him, and went for his knife, turned toward him and so, Caruso drew his pistol and shot him. However, the Sheriff knew that balancing on one leg, it was virtually impossible to shot right in the heart.

  The company Hendly Associates needed such people: smart, brave, responsible, not regretting their actions. Besides, they had to deploy together, as Dominic would do most of the heavy lifting on the investigative side; Brian would back him up on the muscle side, and along the way he’d learn to do his brother’s work. Their cover mainly would be as a businessman or a tourist. So, they had to dress neatly, but not like the Prince of Wales; besides, both of them had to let their hair grow out, especially Brian.

    In fact, Hendly Associates was the organization, created for the fight against terrorism; the cover was the remittances. It was gathering intelligence information, but was not part of the governmental system and acted, when the government Agencies could not control the situation. It was the organization where Jack Patrick Ryan, Jr, son of the former President John Patrick Ryan and a graduate of The Johns Hopkins Institute, wanted to work. 

Individual Reading: "The Teeth of the Tiger"; part 1

Rendering: 'Global Climate Change - In the News Again!'

The article 'Global Climate Change - In the News Again!' was published by Jason Haraldsen in Huff Post Science on October 15, and it discusses the problem of global warming and the ways of its splution.

  Though there are different opinions on this problem, as some scientists claim it is a result of changing ocean currents due to global warming in combination with cooling due to the hole in the ozone layer; the opposition claims that it is evidence that global warming is a fraud; the author suggests that while the local temperature at the Antarctic is cooler, the average global temperature is rising.

  Speaking on global warming, it's necessary to note that its studies have predicted for many years that the earth will experience dramatic changes in climate. This means that some places will get cooler and some will get hotter due to changes in the air and ocean currents. It has also been predicted that the earth will have more dramatic shifts in summer heat and winter cold, which have also been noted throughout the past decade.

 Analyzing the situation of climate change, it's necessary to emphasize that the author focuses on the history of temperatures and CO2 concentration, as there is no need to look at a chart to notice that glaciers are melting and the ocean is rising.

It's an open secret that the CO2 concentration has been increasing since the industrial revolution in the late 1800s. Since global temperature and CO2 concentration are closely linked, it is simple to infer that human activity is producing a warming effect. Through the examination of ice cores, it has been shown that over the last 500,000 years the earth has gone through numerous warming and cooling cycles, where temperature and CO2 rises and falls together. The author affirms that the extra CO2 causes the temperature to increase as energy gets trapped in the earth's atmosphere via the "greenhouse effect".

  The author gives two probable variants if we want to cool off the Earth (but with the same result), as it has been suggested that changing air and ocean currents will shift the earth into a cooling cycle. The first one is if we keep pumping out CO2, but in this case the Earth will continue to heat up. The second one is we will just continue heating, as we may have by passed the trigger mechanism already.

  In conclusion the author suggests that changes in climate mean that we will have to move or adapted to colder winters and hotter summers, but there will be casualties along the way. People living on coastal regions will have to deal with more violent storms and higher sea levels. Areas that once flourished may become famished, and it is likely that cities like Amsterdam and New York will have to deal with major flooding due to raising oceans.

  I completely agree with the author that the global temperature and CO2 concentration are closely linked. As since the industrial revolution in the late 1800s humanity put a cross on its future, because every year the number of factories, and as a result hazardous waste, increase, that leads to increase of CO2 and holes in the ozone layer. The only thing that can "pump" is a plant, but because of the construction of new buildings, forests are cut down, that leads to an increase in CO2 and holes in the ozone layer. So I think there's no way to change anything.

A Film Review: The Pelican Brief (1993)

'The Pelican Brief' (1993)

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Cast: Julia Roberts as Darby Shaw, Denzel Washington as Gray Grantham, Tony Goldwyn as Fletcher Cole, Sam Shepard as Thomas Callahan, John Heard as Gavin Verheek, James B. Sikking as F. Denton Voyles, Robert Culp as The President, John Lithgow as Smith Keen

Synopsis: After two Supreme Court members’ assassination, a law school student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) was interested in their death’s reason and began her own investigation. The whole business is rather tangled, as it was connected both with the politics (particularly the White House) and the environmental protection. In order to confirm her rendition, Darby had to endanger her life, as hunting started of her.

Review: ‘The Pelican Brief’ was forgotten for several years. In that brief Greens protested against the canal lying across the river with endangered pelican species, but the White House ordered to shut down it. However, after two Supreme Court members’ assassination, a law school student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) tried to find out the truth having written her own brief rendition, which was right and which nobody was going to disclose. That’s why the White House began gradually removing those who were connected with that brief: Darby’s professor and lover Thomas Callahan (Sam Shepard), his friend lawyer and special counsel to the FBI director Gavin Vereek (John Heard), and everybody who had any contact with the young woman. Then Darby turned to Gray Grantham’s  (Denzel Washington) help, a reporter for the fictional 'Washington Herald' and a man in whom her lover believed. And now hunting started not only of Darby, but either of her friend, as the truth shouldn’t leak to the press.

  The film makes us think about many things, like an honor and justice, a real money and influence power, environmental protection, and law. It makes us think about our world, as we live in a lying and corrupt world, where money and power settle everything, where people (particularly the government) don’t think much of danger and consequences that their actions will cause. It shows us the same thing again, that sometimes people don’t want to believe the truth, which have been waiting so long.

  Speaking about the actors’ performances, I think to say that they played well, means to say nothing. As during the whole film I got an impression that all of them were created for these roles. I always liked Julia Roberts’ participation, and here she played excellent. Her character reminded me of Tess of ‘Ocean's Twelve’ (smart, purposeful and acting at her own risk). As for Denzel Washington (who was an embodiment of honor and justice), his acting is not inferior to Julia Roberts.

  To sum it up I’d like to say that I really liked this film. Despite of the duration and the amount of text (in comparison with actions) it didn’t seem boring. On the contrary, after the first assassination I was engrossed in the film, like I was not in my room, but there, in the film.

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison (480 - 563 pp)

Now Sethe spent more time at home, playing with Beloved and coming to her work later and later till the moment when she was fired. And instead of looking for another work, the woman played all harder with her girl who never got enough of anything. That’s why while playing or staying outside, Denver waited for the moment when Beloved was in danger (as the girl thought her mother could repeat her sin). But that time Sethe was in danger, as under Beloved’s influence Sethe lost her mind and forget about her daughter.

   Beloved got anything what she wanted; and when Sethe had nothing to give her, she invented desires, then the arguments began: complain from Beloved and apology from Sethe. The first one accused the woman of leaving her, of not being nice to her, not smiling to her. Sethe begged her to forgive her, listing the reasons that Beloved was everything for her, she was more important for her than her own life. But the young woman wasn’t interested. And in order to deserve forgiveness Sethe served the girl (who was not much older than Denver).

   So the family had no money, no food, and Denver understood that in such a situation only she had to leave the house and ask somebody for help. Her former teacher Mrs. Lady Jones helped the girl cooking and asking other people for help. Later everybody knew about Sethe’s dead daughter that had come back and now whipped her mother, and that Sethe had lost her mind. That’s why one day all those people came to the woman’s house and began praying.

  Sethe was breaking a lump of ice into chunks, when she heard the voices. And then, holding Beloved’s hand, went outside and began trembling. When she was calm, the woman saw a white man, who was driving past, and attacked him with the ice pinch in her hand. During that moment Beloved stood alone smiling, but then she vanished, and nobody saw her. Only behind Sethe’s house near the river, Beloved’s footprints came and went, came and went. 

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison (363 - 480 pp)

When Paul D had gone, the life of three women became easier: they were free to be what they liked, see whatever they saw and say whatever was on their minds. They enjoyed the life, as one day Sethe found skates; there was the pair ( for Beloved) and a half of other skates (for Denver), the woman wore shoes slide. But nobody saw them falling.

She was her daughter – she was her mother

Now Sethe had more time to unite all the pictures, as the next morning, when Beloved was sitting at the table, the woman looked at her profile: her chin, her mouth, her nose, her forehead, everything was so familiar. Then Sethe saw the the scar on the girl's neck – she finally found her lost daughter. She remembered the carnival, three hand-holding shadows on the road, that time she had thought the third one was Paul D, but she had been mistaken, as it was Beloved.

Sethe remembered: as soon as she had gotten the headstone, Beloved made her presence known in the house and worried them. The woman thought the girl was angry with her, but then Beloved wouldn't have come back to her. So Sethe hadn't to explain the reason of her murder, as the girl knew it: if she hadn't killed her, Beloved would have died, and that was something that Sethe couldn't bear to happen to her. Now Beloved returned to her mother and couldn't lose her.

She was her sister

beloved was Denver's sister. Even since Denver was little, she was the only friend of hers, she helped her to wait for Denver's father; she was her friend until Paul D had come and threw her out. But now Beloved returned to Denver, and the last one couldn't lose her.

Rendering: "Three Wars on Terror"

The article “Three Wars on Terror” was published by John Arquilla in National Security on September 10. It discusses three wars on terror in the US, which had been hold by Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan.

   First of all it’s important to note that one of Barack Obama's earliest acts as president was to discard the phrase "war on terror," but despite that he has been waging just such a campaign these past four years. However, his counter-terrorism strategy was a far less costly than was undertaken in Iraq by George W. Bush, as Moammar Qaddafi was taken down when Obama engineered and enabled a NATO air campaign that began by preventing a slaughter of innocents in Benghazi, then went on to effect regime change in Tripoli.

   In resolute terms the author of the article makes it clear that the difference in the approaches taken by the American two most recent presidents really speaks to there being two different wars on terror. If Bush chose to attack other nations in his attempt to create a less permissive international environment for terrorist networks, Obama has decided to take the more direct approach: going straight after the networks. And here the article reports at length that Bush's strategy proved exceptionally costly and highly problematic in Iraq, and even his initial success in "going small" in Afghanistan was all too soon overtaken by a stalemate-inducing impulse to send large numbers of troops there. But Obama's concept of operations has been working well, and will never break the bank or exhaust the US military.

   Analyzing the situation with Reagan’s strategy, it’s necessary emphasize that after the October 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 242 Americans, Reagan and his team became deeply concerned about the terrorism problem. But despite success of the first war on terror, in the wake of 9/11 the second war on terror has begun.

   Giving appraisal of the situation, it’s necessary to point out that Obama acceded to a status-of-forces agreement allowing senior political advisers to talk him into living with the consequences of a complete withdrawal from Iraq - where keeping even a slight residual force would have deterred the resurgence of violence that now threatens to undo all the progress of the past decade.

   In conclusion the author mentions that in the battle for Reagan's strategic soul, the conventional thinkers won out because they convinced him that there was far too much of the "dark side" in the plan. In the battle for Barack Obama's strategic soul, the "overwhelming force" approach has not yet carried the day - and with luck it won't.

   I think of course each country has its own strategy and means to achieve the goal (to obliterate terrorism), but nevertheless, in my opinion, everything is useless, because all these presidents have tried and are trying to fight with terror, while terrorist acts must be prevented. But, unfortunately, these three words ("war on terror") have already done their work - sowed uncertainty and fear in people, because there’s a question - whether this so-called war can eradicate terrorism?! And now, watching how the situation goes out of our control, we are steadily moving to the one, but certainly not to the victory over terror...

Rendering: "Syria's suffering opens a door for Washington"

  The article 'Syria's suffering opens a door for Washington' was published by Patrick Cockburn in the Independent on October 7, 2012. It discusses the situation in Syria, that her suffering opens a door for Washington.

   Speaking of this situation, it is necessary to mention that Iran and Syria were the leaders for the past 10 years of the so-called "resistance bloc", the grouping that supported the Palestinians and opposed the US-led combination, but when President Hosni Mubarak and President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali had been driven from power in Egypt and Tunisia, Bashar al-Assad seemed confident that his opposition to the US would protect him against the revolutionary wave, the situation changed. Now it is the "resistance bloc" that is fighting for its life. Besides, in Iran sanctions on oil exports and central bank transactions are paralyzing the economy, demonstrators gathered outside the central bank after finding they could no longer get dollars from their accounts.

   Analyzing these events, it is necessary emphasize that it is in the US interests to give more military support to the Syrian opposition and to organize a military coup against the Syrian government in Damascus. It's very likely that the US will take steps of empowering the moderates in the opposition, shifting the balance of power through arms and other lethal assistance, encouraging a coup leading to a power-sharing arrangement, and accommodating Russia in exchange for its co-operation.

  So there is general feeling to believe that America is going to prepare the ground for a peace conference. But at the same time, it's an open secret that more direct military involvement in Syria can be dangerous for the US.

   In resolute terms the author of the article makes it clear that the Iranian regime is far more strongly rooted than its enemy's regimes overthrown or battling for survival. The Iranian-led bloc in the region may be weaker, but it has not disintegrated.

  I think even if the United States can realize their plan, it'll happen not in quick time. After all, the only thing they are doing is exerting pressure on Syria, that is reflected in the reluctance of the latter to cooperate with America. In addition, it's an open secret that the US conceal their contacts with Syria, as at the same time they are negotiating with other Arab regimes, fearing that the Syrian negative attitude can negatively affect the opinion of other Arab countries.  

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison (273 - 362 pp)

   Living in the Sweet Houme, Paule D thought there were only five men, as no white man could do anything without a gun, while a black one could. Calling himself a man, Paul D couldn't  tell Sethe about the last three weeks, that he had spent in the shed. But one day he maid up his mind to that; that's why the man cought Sethe alone coming from work. Imagining her face and reaction, he let the words flock in his head, but all that he could say was the request for giving him one more child. Sethe refused as she was too old to start that all over again, and though she didn't know why Paul D had asked her for that, the woman thought it was because of his wish to stay. Having come to their house, Sethe and Paul D noticed the figure, the same figure that had been meeting the woman for four months, and the threads of malice crept toward the man from its side.

   Anather question that Paul D wanted to ask Sethe was about her escape from the Sweet Houme, the murder she had done and its reasons, but he couldn't do that. Only one day, Sethe told him herself what she hadn't told Baby Suggs, maybe because of the man's smile or love that she saw in his eyes, but the woman felt the obligation to explain to him everything.

   Once squatting in the garden, Sethe recognized the schoolteacher's hat, took her children and run away. The four man (the schoolteacher, his nephew, the slave catcher and the sherif) her in the shed. They saw two boys bled in the sawdust and dirt at the feet of the woman holding a blood-soaked child to her chest with one hand and an infant by the heels in the other. She swung the baby toward the wall planks, missed and tried the second time. The woman with the handsaw in her arms stopped schoolteacher in his tracks. He took a beckward step with each jump of the baby heart untill finally there were none. Now there were three children, as the baby was dead; and the woman was carried to where she belonged.

   Sethe had done that for the sake of her children. But Paul D only felt as the forest was lacking the distance between him and the woman.

A Film Review: Rendition (2007)

'Rendition' (2007)

Director: Gavin Hood

Cast: Reese Witherspoon as Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi, Jake Gyllenhaal as Douglas Freeman, Meryl Streep as Corrine Whitman, Omar Metwally as Anwar El-Ibrahimi, Alan Arkin as Senator Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard as Alan Smith, Zineb Oukach as Fatima Fawal, Yigal Naor as Abasi Fawal, Moa Khouas as Khalid El-Emin.

Synopsis: having arrived to the airport from South Africa, a chemical engineer (Omar Metwally) was kidnapped; he didn’t know who, why had done that, and where they conveyed him. That was for a record, as before engineer’s arriving there was a suicide bombing in North Africa. Besides, everyone who was relevant to that operation had his own rendition.

Review: Here we can see two parallel pictures. A suicide bombing killed 19 people in North Africa. Having arrived to the US airport from South Africa, Answar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) was detained by American officials and sent to a confidential place for obtaining information, which CIA agent Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) had to enter in the minutes. He was linked with the terrorist group, which meant that he was involved in the terrorist attack. Police official Abasi Fawal (Yigal Naor) resorted a standard procedure: interrogation - torture - electric chair, thinking that the application of techniques amounting to torture was the most effective method. Meanwhile, Answar’s wife Isabella (Reese Witherspoon), trying to rescue her husband, traveled to Washington for meeting with an old friend Alan Smith (Peter Sarsgaard), who worked as an aide to Senator Hawkins (Alan Arkin). But Alan could do nothing for the woman, that’s why she met with Corrine Whitman, the high-ranking official from CIA (Meryl Streep), who affirmed that she had no idea what Isabella was talking about. But not only Isabella was trying to rescue the engineer: Douglas Freeman, convinced that the application of techniques amounting to torture wasn’t the best method for obtaining information, doubted Anwar’s involvement in a terrorist attack. He thought the man, having the wife and a little son, was not capable of murder. That’s Douglas released El-Ibrahimi without the authorities’ consent.

  Fatima Fawal (Zineb oukach) had run away from home with her boyfriend Khalid El-Emin (Moa Khouas), but she didn’t know that he was going to take revenge on her father Abasi Fawal for his brother’s death. Having known Khalid’s aim, Fatima tried to stop him and defend her father. But it was too late, as a suicide terrorist had exploded the bomb, having killed the girl also.

  This film makes us think about our society where people don’t trust each other, and it shows our reality, as everything reflected by Gavin Hood is quite possible in our life. We can’t blame or condemn anybody, as for some (Corrine Whitman and Abasi Fawal) tortures are just a work, while for others (Douglas Freeman) are something unimaginable. That’s why all the characters have different renditions for the same occasion.

  The actors’ performance was excellent; it makes us understand their psychology. I’ve watched many films with Jake Gyllenhaal, but it was something new. His voice, motions and especially his eyes transferred all emotions of his character. His colleague dies before his eyes, he is to be present on tortures of the suspected; everything is difficult for him, and he has to look into the business.

  To sum it up, I’d like to say that Gavin Hood shot the film very realistic, and actors played the characters very believable, that was keeping me in suspense the whole two hours.

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison (187 - 273 pp)

 It was time for Sethe to sort everything out. At first Halle, then Baby Suggs, and Paul D kept her going, but her husband and mother-in-law had died, and Pual D was at work all all days long. Thant's why Sethe took the girls and went to the green blessed place, on Baby Suggs' rock (where earlier Baby helped people were cleansed of their sins, that's why she was known as Baby Suggs, holy). Sethe wanted her mother-in-law to calm her, give her a hint about what to do; she wanted to feel her fingers. The woman bowed her head and they were there. The fingers' touching was light, but then they became stronger; they began to strangle her. Sethe tumbled forward from her seat on the rock, her feet were thrashing. Then Denver and Beloved got to her, and the fingers left off. Beloved helped Sethe by rubbing her neck. Her fingers  were so cold and knowing. The woman closed her eyes, as the girl'shelped her to relax and restore breathing, and Beloved leaned over and kissed her chin. Sethe didn't know how to behave herself, but then waved the girls to their feet and went home. On the way the woman thought about fingers' touching that strangled her, as they didn't belong belong to Baby Suggs, her fingers she didn't forget.

   Sethe didn't know the answer, while Denver was absolutely sure that it was Beloved's doing, though the last one denied everything. The girl tried to abandon the idea of Beloved's guilt, as she didn't want to hurt and lose her; she did everything to keep her to herself when Sethe was working. But in contrast to Denver, Belover didn't need the girl, the onlu thing she wanted was Sethe's attention, that was turned to Paul D. And the young women hated him for that.

   Paul D loved Sethe, that house, the work he was doing, but he notice that be began moving out of that place. rThe beginning was so simple. One day after the supper Paul D sat in the rocket and fell asleep. He had slept all day and felt refreshed, though he expected his back to fight it, but it didn't. Another day, after the supper Paul D sat in the rocket but could't fell asleep. He went to Baby Suggs' room and slept on her bad (where she actually died). Another evening, after the supper when he went to that bad, he realised that didn't want to be there and went to the storeroom. Then Paul D appeared in the shed, behind the house.

Rendering: "Al Qaeda claims attack wave and jailbreak in Iraq"

   The article "Al Qaeda claims attack wave and lailbreak in Iraq" was publishe in Fox News on October 5, 2012. It reporters at lemgth that Al Qaeda's branch in Iraq claimed responsibility on Friday for a jailbreak that was followed by a wave of deadly attacks across the country. 

   Speaking of the reasons of the attacks, it isnecessary to notice that the group, also called the Islamic State of Iraq, said that the main cause was to retake Sunni towns and districts that were once Al Qaeda strongholds.

   There is every reason to believe that the Islamic State of Iraq is really responsible for Sunday's coordinated blasts and Sept. 27 prison break in Saddam Hussein's hometown, in which prisoners seized weapons and clashed with security forces in an hours-long standoff. Because, analyzing the Iraq' history, we can notice activities not onlny of the Shiite-led government, but also the American military. And it's an open secret that to oppose the spreading of the US influence is one of Al Qaeda's main aims.

   Taking into account, that from the moment when the Sunnis were ousted by the Shiites and for years had a hot-and-cold relationship with the global terror network's leadership, and the US instrusion into Iraq, it had to happend. 

Rendering: "The forgotten war"

The article 'The Forgotten War' was published in the Telegraph on October 1, 2012. It discusses the situation in Afganistan, as the death toll among US forces had passed the 2,000 mark. 

   Speaking of the situation, it is necessary to note that the Afgan conflict is supposed to be "Obama's war" - "a war of necessety" (it started in 2001 after four coordinated suiced attacks upon the US in New York City and Washington, D.C.). Analyzing what's going on, it is necessary to emphasize that for the last several years the US and the Afghanistan government  have made attempts to agree with the Taliban, and it's an open secret that their efforts have not scored any result. Now when the presidential elections entering its final stages, the conflict has almost been forgotten. And the Republican candidate Mitt Romney, speaking of national security issues, has been reticent about Afghanistan. 

   So by the Telegraph view, this is an inopportune moment for America’s political classes to be suffering from a collective bout of amnesia. Besides, there is every reason to believe that the Taliban is a force to be reckoned with, as demonstrated by its recent spate of attacks against Nato troops.

  It's hard to predict the course of events in future but, I think, there is some evidence of the improvement of the situation that even if the US would negotiate with representatives of the Taliban about the future of Afghanistan, these agreements are difficult to consider reliable and durable. Becides, if  the US will withdraw its troops, ther's no confidence that  fighting in Afghanistan doesn't break out again.

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison (127-187 pp)

   Beloved walked on the heels of Sethe; when the woman returned she was in the window, then the porch, the path, the road and finally further and further Beloved went to meet Sethe and walk with her. Of course Sethe was flattered by Beloved's relation. One evening when everybody was busy, suddenly the young woman asked Sethe about her diamonds. And the woman told about her crystal earings that she had gotten from the lady she had worked for; about her former life in the Sweet Home, her modest marriage. Having listened the story with sincere interest, Beloved asked another question: about Sethe's mother. Denver heard her grandmother for the first time, as her mother tried not to remember about the past. But now Sethe really wanted to recollect that time and told everything in details. Beloved took every opportunity to ask some questions, and Denver noticed how she was beaming with happiness while listening to Sethe's stories. But now the girl noticed another thing, that was the question about earings, how she got to know about them.

   Beloved had been with the family for almost five weeks, and they knew nothing about her, that annoyed Paul D. He tried to learn more about her, asking different questions, but the woman paid no attention either to him, or his questions. Thus the man understood that Beloved's shining (not only Denver noticed that) wasn't for him, but he didn't know for whom, as he either didn't know the woman who lit up for nobody. 

   Beloved told Denver about her shining, dedicated to Sethe, the only person she had returned to, and asked the girl told about her birth. And Denver began to construct out of short stories that she had heard from her mother or grandmother. The girl thought she owed somebody something, but didn't know whom and what. Only now, telling the story, Denver understood that she had to help homeless and helpless Beloved, like a white young woman (Amy Denver) had helped Sethe to give birth to her. 

Rendering: "Innocence of Muslims' cast disavows movie"

   The article ‘Innocence of Muslims’ cast disavows movie’ was published in Washington Post on September 13, 2012 by Olga Khazan . The article carries some comments on the film portraying the prophet Muhammad as a philanderer and child abuser. Speaking of the film, first of all it’s necessary to notice that primary film’s title was quite different from what we have now, as it was called “Desert Warriors” and had no relation to religion. Besides, the woman, who had played a roll in the film, told “Gawker” that the cast was misled about the film’s intent and purpose. Giving appraisal on the situation, it’s necessary to point out that though the cast was shocked by the drastic re-writes of the script, in the interview with Buzzfeed Jimmy Israel told about his work on the film in the early stages of production and it had references to “Muhammad being a hypocrite.” In addition Olga Khazan gives an indication that this film isn’t actually a film, as “that no one has been able to obtain a copy of it.” 
   I think, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a film or just a reel, as it’s an open secret that now religion and politics are almost the same, that's why one of them can cause unexpected consequences. Besides, I think, it’s too late to prove something, I mean whether the cast have been misled about the film’s intent or not, as we have what we have. 

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison (67-126 pp)

Denver had her little houseplay, that she found one Christmas day hidden by post oaks. First a playroom (where the silince was softer), then a refuge (from her brothers' fear), soon it became the place where Denver's thoughts had no doardes. So one autumn day being in the boxwood, the girl felt the parfume on her skin, caused by sudden wind, and following it, Denver saw her mother standing in the middle of the room on her knees in prayer, but that wasn't unusual.The girl noticed a white dress was near to Sethe and had its sleeve around her waist. That time Denver remembered her mother's words "when everything dead coming back to life hurts," that's why the girl thought that the ghost was in pain and had a plan.

When Denver had told her mother about that white dress, Sethe remembered her widing dress, her former life in the Sweet Home, and her daughter's death after which she stopped distinguishing colors. Only with Paul D's appearence their life changed, as he lived his life to the full. And one later afternoon, when Sethe, Denver and Paul D were arriving from the carnival, they saw a young woman sitting not far from their house. She didn't look like a former slave as she was well-dressed and had a smooth skin, but when Sethe asked her name, she spelled it, as if being illiterate. Her name was Beloved. Sethe felt kindness towar her, as her name had reminded her daughter's headstone, and as Beloved had the cholera, the woman allowed her to stay and Denver became her nurse. 

Rendering: "Rethinking Journalism Ethics, Objectivity in the Age of Social Media"

   The article discusses some principles for teaching ethics amid this media revolution, as many academic programs are offering new approaches to journalism education. That it created tensions within programs, especially in the situation of mixed media.

   Speaking about objectivity it is necessary to note that today schools of journalism teach  to be objective, they teach students that their reports must be neutral or objective. There is no "opinion journalism", as reporters have to write only things public really need and withot their own attitude. But new journalism tends to be more personal and give conclusions. but it's an open secret that educators hardly abandon objectivity in their teaching, as it leads to redefining objectivity. The traditional notion of journalistic objectivity, developed in the early 1900s, defined objectivity as a story that reported "just the facts" and eliminated all interpretation or opinion by the journalist. The author is convinced that this notion should be redefined. It needs to give reporters more opportunity to express their own attitude about this or that problem, or it's embargo will cause disinterestedness. And the last point that's very necessary to mention is a specific format. It's known  that ethics of journalism is not monolithic, as what norms are appropriate depends on the form of communication in question. Schools of journalism should learn students different formats, as having all of them reporters can engage new media in a creative but responsible manner. 

   In conclusion the author suggests that only a fundamental redesign will allow journalism ethics to make the transition from an ethics constructed in another era to today's mixed media.   

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison (1-66 pp)

The whole picture took place in 1873. Sethe, a former slave, with her four children and mother-in-law left Kentucky to live in freedom in Ohio, where everybody avoided them. Only one day Sethe met her old friend Paul D Garner, whom she had got to know in the Sweet Home. She was sold there in her thirteen. The girl had to choose one of five men who were in the Sweet Home, and it was Halle Suggs, who had become her husdand. Halle was different from other men, as he respected Sethe, loved her and treated her not las his property, but as a friend. He gave her five years of marriage and four children, but then died. Only one child now stayed with Sethe, it was Denver (the girl of eighteen), as her first daughter had been murdered, and only one word was on her head stone "Beloved" it was enough. Now her ghost disturbed Sethe and Denver. Because of the baby's ghost two sons had left their mother, as they couldn't bear that any more. Several years later Sethe's mother-in-law died, so they stood alone: the mother and her daughter. But despite of baby's ghost Sethe had no desire to move somewhere else, as all her life she had been running from her troubles. That time her little daughter had been murdered, and that's why the woman didn't want to make the same mistake. Everything was smooth till Paul D's comming. After Denver's brothers had gone and her grandmother had died, and as  her peers avoided her, Paul D had sent away the ghost and taken all Sethe's attention from Denver to him, the girl felt herself lost.

A Film Review

"Lions for Lambs" (2007)

Director:  Robert Redford

Cast: Robert Redford as Professor Stephen Malley, Meryl Streep as Janine Roth, Tom Cruis as Senator Jasper Irving, Michael Peña as Ernest Rodriguez, Derek Luke as Arian Finch, Andrew Garfield as Todd Hayes

 

Synopsis:  These are destinies of six people. The man (Tom Cruis), who can persist in his opinion only by words, thinking he is the most intelligent and make right things for the sake of the country. Two men (Michael Pena and Derek Luke) who don't stay outside and give themselves up in what they believe. The man (Andrew Garfield) who also doesn't want to stay outside, trying to do his best for it; and the man (Robert Redford) who is trying to stop and make understand him. And the man (Meryl Streep) who loses his faith and gives up his principles.

Review: The film "Lions for Lambs" describes one day in the lives of six people. Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruis) starts a new strategy against their enemy, as he has to protect American people - it's his responsibility, his job. The politician works out a plan in action as America has been attect by diplomacy, and as a result there's a war, the war that the US can't lose. The Senator gives an interview to Janine Roth (Maryl Streep), who has dedicated 40 years of her life to journalism. Having heard the whole information, Janine loses her faith in the government, gives up her principles. Meanwhile, Professor Stephen Malley (Robert Redford) tells the life story of his two best students Arian (derek Luke) and Ernest (Michael Pena), who didn't want to stay outside and, having left  college, they joined the army. They have been sent to Afghanistan, where were killed. Professor tells it a young journalist Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield), who also doesn't want to stay outside. And Malley only wants to stop and make understand him the whole picture.

The film makes us think, think about war and the choice. Having watched this movie, I think everyone sit motionless for some time thinking, as there are different problems here. And every character personifies one of them. For example, Cenator - fight for power; Janine Roth - journalist's honesty; Arian and Ernest - self-sacriface; Hayes - youth's choice; and proffessor as a lighthouse, that sends on the right path.

As for actors, I'll say that: all of them were good, as all dialogs, emotions, motions, till flick of the eyelash, were accurate. Best af all I was estonished by Maryl Streep's play. I watched some movies with her participation, but sill estonish by her grace, self-controll and ability to express any emotion like she lives her character's life.

To sum it up, I'll say that: every day we can notice events that Robert Radford has showed us in this movie. I mean politics and everything that connects with it. Politicians just do their job, telling people only what they really should know. And it doesn't matter in some cases in what way the result was achieved, what's really necessary is the result itself.