Director:
Robert De Niro

Cast:
Matt Damon
Angelina Jolie
Michael Gambon
John Turturro

Official URL:

http://www.goodshepherdmovie.com

Country: USA
Rating: R
Studio Name: Universal Pictures
Running Time: 2 hr 40 mins
Release Date: December 22, 2006

Critics's Rating:
(4 out of 4 Reels) 

December 22, 2006

By Veronica Mixon

Robert De Niro’s intense drama about the men who formed the CIA is an incredible look at the personalities and cultural tone of the era following WWII. This epic story centers on Edward Wilson who dedicated his life’s work to the agency which took an incredible personal toll. Matt Damon, who has continued to mount an impressive career with stellar acting choices since his surprise Oscar win for Good Will Hunting, plays the all-American Wilson with a quiet dignity. His collaboration with De Niro, whose previous directorial effort was the Italian mob story, A Bronx Tale, proves to audiences that De Niro can deliver a powerful movie that has nothing to do with home grown crime.

The Good Shepherd begins with the poignant lessons that Wilson (Damon) learns at Harvard. While studying poetry he discovers that his college professor, Dr. Fredericks (Michael Gambon) is a plagiarist. Then Wilson's heart is torn between a pretty deaf co-ed whom he loves and a daring rich girl, Clover (Angelina Jolie). She’s the patrician sister of one of his fellows of Skull & Bones, the secret society whose members included the most privileged and powerful. Wilson proves that he can make tough choices at a very young age and he’s quickly recruited by a pre-war version of the CIA during the war. Bill Sullivan (De Niro), the original mastermind of U.S. intelligence organizations tells Wilson that once he begins, he won’t be able to trust anyone. And, Dr. Fredericks, who turns out to be British Intelligence advices him to leave the service before it steals his soul. But Wilson wants to service his country and be true to his family.

Naturally, living a life of secrets and lies to secure information about foreign governments and to protect the U.S. proves to be personally devastating. His quiet demure is admired by his chief adversary, the Russian intelligence leader who strategically spars with Wilson over the decades to come. In fact, Wilson is closest to his boss (William Hurt), his FBI contact (Alec Baldwin) and his loyal aide Oleg Stefan (John Turturro).

Naturally, his long absences and aloofness distance Wilson from his wife, Clover and his young son. “You’re a ghost!” Clover shouts when they argue about the necessary secrecy of his work. To be true, Clover realizes that she was never the love of Wilson’s life but that doesn’t mean she didn’t hope for his love. Angelina Jolie, playing the hurt wife, could’ve been a cliché but she breathes a tragic air to the role especially when she’s angry or fights for their son.

Matt Damon’s still performance mirrors a genuine the behavior of white, button-down males of the era who went off to work in their suits and hats on commuter trains. It’s a flash back to a bygone era and De Niro has captured the tone perfectly. Spies had to look like ordinary citizens as they went about their dirty work.

The Good Shepherd is a smart, engaging film told an intriguing way by De Niro who wants the audience to understand the emotional depth of Wilson’s commitment to the CIA. He wasn’t a perfect man but along the way, Wilson learned the intricate tricks that would be used on agents to lull them into revealing classified information to enemies of the United States. Although the film is nearly three hours, you will not be bored. It is one of the best films of the year!

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