The Good Shepherd

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Just when you thought movies had forgotten how to enthrall audiences with the simple art of great storytelling, along comes The Good Shepherd, a rich, complex and galvanizing look at the CIA that belongs to the hallowed, almost lost filmmaking tradition of legendary films like The Godfather. So it should come as no surprise that it is directed (and co-stars) Robert De Niro who won an Academy Award as the young Vito Corelone in The Godfather Part II and that Godfather trilogy directorFrancis Ford Coppola as an executive producer. Deliberately paced and long, the film keeps your attention as the story of the evolution of America's super spy agency unfolds thru the eyes of Edward Wilson (Matt Damon), a straight-arrow Yale graduate who gets caught up in the dirty dealings of the CIA over the quarter of a century Eric Roth's detailed script covers. From pre-World War II thru the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion in the early 60's, we see Wilson trying to do what's right, sometimes mistakenly and almost always at great expense. His personal life parallels the difficult career path he chooses—his marriage to Angelina Jolie hits the rocks and his relationship with his naïve son hits a wall. De Niro has crafted a near-epic and first-class film that engages us with its scope, multi-layered plot and a brilliant cast, led by a superb Damon. It's impossible for Jolie to look bad on screen even in a role that mostly just calls on her to be the scorned wife. Of special note, veteran character actor Michael Gambon stands out as a long time agent who knows a little too much for his own good.