January 02, 2007
The Good Shepherd
An epic depiction of the birth of the C.I.A.
Starring: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Robert De Niro
Runtime: 160 minutes
Starring: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Robert De Niro
Runtime: 160 minutes
Robert De Niro has come a long way since his directorial debut, 1993's A Bronx Tale. In the 13 years that have passed De Niro's ambitions have grown and like another actor turned filmmaker, Mel Gibson, he has fashioned a tale so epic that even a 3 hour runtime seems to only skim the surface.
The movie attempts to explain the origins of the C.I.A. through the eyes and actions of one man, Edward Wilson (Matt Damon). The film covers multiple continents and deftly handles juggles a number of intersecting plot lines but by also focusing on Wilson's home life, it becomes a victim of its own ambitions. Plot lines are introduced and then abandoned while relationships are established but never fully explored. While this may make for a fractured and confusing film, it also makes for some intelligent and challenging viewing. Unlike many mainstream movies that feel the need to explain every aspect of its plot, The Good Shepherd is content to give the audience the pieces and allow them to put them together on their own. An early sequence between Wilson and his old associate Sam Murach (Alec Baldwin) is a fine example as Murach makes an offhanded comment about his wedding ring no longer fitting and the fact that "it's spreading" but never actually alludes to the cancer that so obviously has overtaken him. It's the sign of an intelligent script that the screenwriter understands true focus of the film and refuses to move away from the real plot but, at the same time, understands that for conversation to feel realistic it has to entail items that don't necessarily serve to drive the plot forward.
De Niro has mentioned in recent interviews that he looked to his mentor, Martin Scorsese, for inspiration in making this film. However, as one watches The Good Shepherd, it's impossible not to see the influences of early Francis Ford Coppola whose early Godfather films are an obvious template. There are worse movies to crib from, though, and The Good Shepherd proves that even overambitious films are far more fascinating than the middling efforts release by most studios every weekend.
The movie attempts to explain the origins of the C.I.A. through the eyes and actions of one man, Edward Wilson (Matt Damon). The film covers multiple continents and deftly handles juggles a number of intersecting plot lines but by also focusing on Wilson's home life, it becomes a victim of its own ambitions. Plot lines are introduced and then abandoned while relationships are established but never fully explored. While this may make for a fractured and confusing film, it also makes for some intelligent and challenging viewing. Unlike many mainstream movies that feel the need to explain every aspect of its plot, The Good Shepherd is content to give the audience the pieces and allow them to put them together on their own. An early sequence between Wilson and his old associate Sam Murach (Alec Baldwin) is a fine example as Murach makes an offhanded comment about his wedding ring no longer fitting and the fact that "it's spreading" but never actually alludes to the cancer that so obviously has overtaken him. It's the sign of an intelligent script that the screenwriter understands true focus of the film and refuses to move away from the real plot but, at the same time, understands that for conversation to feel realistic it has to entail items that don't necessarily serve to drive the plot forward.
De Niro has mentioned in recent interviews that he looked to his mentor, Martin Scorsese, for inspiration in making this film. However, as one watches The Good Shepherd, it's impossible not to see the influences of early Francis Ford Coppola whose early Godfather films are an obvious template. There are worse movies to crib from, though, and The Good Shepherd proves that even overambitious films are far more fascinating than the middling efforts release by most studios every weekend.