The Good Shepherd (2006)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert De Niro

Writer (WGA):

Eric Roth (written by)

Release Date:

22 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Edward Wilson believed in America, and he would sacrifice everything he loved to protect it.

Plot:

The tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency is viewed through the prism of one man's life.

Plot Keywords:

Cold War | Soviet | Idealism | Spy | Suicide

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Matt Damon	...	Edward Wilson
Angelina Jolie	...	Margaret 'Clover' Russell
Alec Baldwin	...	Sam Murach
Tammy Blanchard	...	Laura
Billy Crudup	...	Arch Cummings
Robert De Niro	...	Bill Sullivan
Keir Dullea	...	Senator John Russell, Sr.
Michael Gambon	...	Dr. Fredericks
Martina Gedeck	...	Hanna Schiller
William Hurt	...	Philip Allen
Timothy Hutton	...	Thomas Wilson
Mark Ivanir	...	Valentin Mironov #2
Gabriel Macht	...	John Russell, Jr.
Lee Pace	...	Richard Hayes
Joe Pesci	...	Joseph Palmi

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

167 min | Russia:139 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | German | Russian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #43094) | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 | Portugal:M/12 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Argentina:13 | Italy:T | South Korea:18 | Germany:12 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Malaysia:18PL | Sweden:15 | Denmark:15 | Norway:15 | Netherlands:16 | Malaysia:U (DVD) | Brazil:14 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

49-51 Chambers Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Lee Pace's character Richard Hayes shares some similarities, including a similar name, to Allen Dulles' (CIA director from 1953-1961) eventual successor Richard Helms (CIA director from 1966-1973).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the TELEX scene, the word "know" is incorrectly spelled "KONW".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Miriam: You are safe here with me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Night and Day

The murky world of CIA deception as seen by one family man...

Before I go on to praise the good points of THE GOOD SHEPHERD, I should mention at the start that the film badly needed some judicious editing. There are many scenes that go on for too long a time and are badly in need of some artful editing to get the point across just as well.

Aside from length, everything else about the film is on the plus side--the handsome cinematography, the vast amount of settings, the background score that adds to the drama, and the performances of the entire cast which are uniformly good. I'm not a great admirer of ANGELINA JOLIE as an actress, but here I think she demonstrated skill at suggesting the loneliness, frustrations and jealousies of a woman whose life has to remain outside the boundaries of her husband's job with the CIA. Through a series of detailed vignettes, the murky world of an agent's life of deception within the government is sharply observed.

More of a character study of Edward Wilson (played in stolid, very serious fashion by MATT DAMON) than a straightforward spy yarn, it manages to hold the interest even though it uses the flashback method of storytelling that is apt to confuse a viewer if it isn't done well. But here again, there is a flaw--it covers a span of twenty or more years but the aging of the central character is never quite convincing enough. Damon never looks that much older than his grown son--whereas a few gray hairs might have helped considerably. As his grown son, EDDIE REDMAYNE does reasonably well as the man seeking his father's approval.

As for the supporting players in this story about one man's experiences in the newly developing CIA, JOHN TURTURRO does an outstanding job as a tough inquisitor and MICHAEL GAMBON is outstanding as a security risk with homosexual tendencies. ALEC BALDWIN has little to do but is intense enough as one of the agency's top men and others in the cast maintain credibility all the way through.

The story itself is rather problematic in that nothing is what it seems and not all the information is readily given to the viewer in a way that makes sense. This is partly the fault of the script and partly the fault of director Robert De Niro who also assumes a small role effectively.

But still, despite the handicap of being too long (and a bit too involved at certain points), it makes for fascinating viewing and is the kind of film you dare not divert your attention from for a moment. If you do, you are liable to miss an essential plot point.

Summing up: Highly recommended for anyone with a keen interest in espionage dramas.