Directed by
Robert De Niro
167 minutes
Rated M
Reviewed by
Sharon Hurst
The Good Shepherd
Synopsis: Edward Wilson (Matt Damon), a Yale student in the late 1930s, joins its secret Skull and Bones society. With his keen mind, adherence to secrecy and devoted belief in the American way of life, he is seen as an ideal candidate to be recruited to work for overseas intelligence (The Office of Strategic Services) during World War II. The organisation he joins gradually develops into the CIA as we know it. As Wilson climbs ever higher in its ranks he battles his KGB adversaries, deals with the Cold War including the Bay of Pigs but must choose between his family and his career.This marathon film charts the history of the CIA as seen through the prism of actual events and characters who are more or less fictionalised versions of real people. It is a complicated and dense story one which De Niro and Eric Roth, screenwriter of Ali (2007) and Munich (2005) struggle, as is so often the case in historical epics to balance the human story with its politico-historical context even with a challenging167 minute run-time.
The Good Shepherd has an all-star line-up. In the lead Matt Damon plays a post-WWII Ivy League graduate Edward Wilson, an emotional iceberg whose forced marriage to Clover (Angelina Jolie) and relationship with his son, played as an adult by an oddly-cast Eddie Redmayne, provides the axis to the broader story. Many other big players appear in brief roles including Alec Baldwin, Timothy Hutton, John Turturro, Joe Pesci, Keir Dullea, Billy Crudup, Michael Gambon,and William Hurt although some appearances are so fleeting as to have had me wondering what was left on the cutting room floor and frankly I never really understood the role of the grainy photo of a couple in Wilson's personal history.
From bare wintery exteriors to burnished old-school dining halls and libraries many scenes all enhanced by the excellent costuming and overall attention to detail are filmed by A-list cinematographer Robert Richardson, in a way that captures the mood of the times .
De Niro in only his second film as a director after A Bronx Tale (1993) has taken on a ambitious task. He has not entirely conquered it but particularly if you like spy stories The Good Shepherd is well worth adding to your to-see list.
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