Rating of
3/4
The Good Shepherd review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 07/28/12
Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) invited to join Skull and Bones, a secret society and eventually becomes s Senior CIA Officer. He becomes romantically involvved with deaf student named Laura (Tammy Blanchard) while being seduced by 'Clover' Russell (Angelina Jolie). FBI agent Sam Murach (Alec Baldwin) approaches Edward and also meets General Bill Sullivan (Robert De Niro) asks Edward to join the OSS, offering him a post in London. Damon and Jolie were solid but both were unlikable characters. Baldwin and John Turturro were fantastic supporting casts, and a back-story or better character development would have been interesting. In emotional scenes Damon was just stone cold and insensitive. The numerous characters kept the story moving and the Skull and Bones moments were a waste of time. On the positive side, De Niro shows premise in terms of direction and the timelines were detailed coupled with actual footage's. Best lines from the film were: "We all have weaknesses." and "My life has full of surprises." The Good Shepherd is a good history of the CIA and spy flick with themes of trust, lack of family time, love, and sacrifice for one's country to the point of affecting your loved ones. Francis Ford Coppola and De Niro were included as Producers. I'm sure the Director would learn that simplicity can still be effective despite having known artists involved.
