THE GOOD SHEPHERD (2006)

SHORT REVIEW: It has a run time of 167 minutes and you have to watch Matt Damon act the whole time. I believe you actually get a certificate of completion if you make it to the final credits. Who doesn’t love dry, rambling character films? This film about the inception of the CIA is a aimless and dreary affair. Its main character is completely unapproachable and ultimately detestable, and the seemingly endless story is as dynamic as a baked potato. It’s the motion picture without the motion. As babbling as humdrum as this film can get, I still enjoyed it a great deal. Robert De Niro, who directed the film, provides a great deal of interesting moments and satisfying scene work. The problem is that he takes is time doing it. He’s like following an old man driving a car ten miles under the speed limit. Hit the gas and get going already Grandpa! The story follows the development of the CIA through the point of view of a single man, Edward Wilson (performed by Matt Damon). Wilson is pulled into the developing agency when it is first put together and we watch as both Wilson and the agency grow into their roles. Wilson is forced to sacrifice everything in his life and has any semblance of humanity drained from him in order to keep the agency afloat. De Niro and screenwriter Eric Roth (Forest Gump, Munich) handle the eventual collapse of the Wilson beautifully and intelligently. Their presentation of the agency is likewise top notch and fascinating. Even though this film runs on longer than international plane trips, they still had to cut a number of corners in regards to the history to get it to fit within the confines of a film. Forgiving this, De Niro and Roth provide a comprehendible look at the spy works that makes up much of American history. What is particularly nice is that they don't littler this film with the typical leftist yarns about America. The underlying political message is buried enough to ignore. They give their audience enough credit to not be too obtuse with their political agenda. It's refreshing to have a serious film without having it ruined by some bedwetting leftist message flashing on the bottom of the screen. Matt Damon gives a reasonable good performance. His persistent inability to incite any deep emotional connection with his audience works well with his flat line character Wilson. He is passable in the role and doesn’t really carry the piece as drags it behind him. Damon fades into the background though when placed next to more vibrant and actually talented actors like De Niro or Michael Gamon. This is the risk one takes not casting actors in the lead. Damon isn’t exactly a box office draw and he’s not a great thespian. He’s a cinematic placeholder until the industry gets serious again. He’s the smart man’s Keanu Reeves. Overall, this is an interesting piece. It manages, remarkably, to exceed its flaws and deliver a worthwhile film. Again, if you’re into quicker pacing you’re going to want to avoid this one. Old Man De Niro takes his sweet ol’ time. If you can handle sitting for long stretches you may want to give this one a try. Other Reviews: Celluloid Heroes eFilmCritic