The Good Shepherd (2006)

Posted : 10 months, 3 weeks ago at Dec 31 16:26

The slow pace is redeemed by the excellent charater development delivered by the strong cast. What you might think would just be a movie chronicling the orgins of the C.I.A turns out to be a thriller that takes some time to slowly work out. The film hits it's stride once it stops shooting from different time periods. Very intresting film just could be a little quicker to get where it is going. Don't think any shot was cut from this film.

Rating : 7/10

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago at Aug 18 17:41

Its ok to take your time when telling a story, but de Niro is overdoing it with "The good Shepperd".
We hardly see anything happening and are therefore not involved in the "action".
Its even harder to follow because of continuous back and forth jumps in the timeline.
Not bad at all, no way, but too long and ... sorry ... boring.

Rating : 6/10

Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago at Jul 8 16:09

If De Niro had concentrated half as much on continuity and the pacing of his film than he did bringing together this stellar cast, this film might have grabbed me a bit more.

It's an hour too long and for a film that spans decades the cast age remarkably well. The plot and subject matter did interest me, but by the time it got to the point I didn't care any longer.

Rating : 5/10

Posted : 2 years, 6 months ago at May 19 21:31

How truthful is this film... no one will ever know. How can anyone know anything about a company (CIA) that (supposedly) deals with lies... again, no one will ever know. Important issues are presented here: imperialism, espionage, loyalty, betrayal... This film was certainly worth watching, for Matt Damon's performance (as Edward Wilson) especially. He and *he alone* carries the film on his shoulders. A surprise: De Niro shows a better talent as a director than an actor. Angelina Jolie, as Wilson's wife, overacts way too much and her character is not credible because not well developed. Tammy Blanchard (who plays Laura) definitely has more talent than Jolie. The melodramatic dialogue didn't help the movie, however well directed it may have been. Recommendation to watch _The Go...Read more

Rating : 7/10

Posted : 2 years, 10 months ago at Jan 18 11:00

I went into the movie expecting a set of sequential events that would tell the story of how the C.I.A. came to be. What I got was a good mystery movie with solid acting. The movie follows Mr. Wilson (Matt Damon) through his life and shows how those events led him to be one of the cornerstones to the early C.I.A.. To fully understand what is going on, one must pay close attention to the dates shown on screen. Damon does an excellent job of portraying the company man. His character is dedicated, cold, and hard. The way Damon plays the character is very believable. If you go to see this movie, be aware that the events depicted are highly dramatized. Every character is an amalgamation of several real life people and the events are quite fictional. I give it an 8 of 10. Mostly because ...Read more

Rating : 8/10

Posted : 2 years, 10 months ago at Jan 12 15:42

Admittedly, the movie was not what I expected. It showed very little spycraft, very little action, but was ultimately interesting and good. Totally agree twith prior review that it was plodding and didn't pay out a whole lot, but still very enjoyable.

Rating : 7/10

Posted : 2 years, 10 months ago at Jan 1 21:34

A solid movie, bogged down by its running length, horde of characters, and non-linearity. Behind the convolutedness, however, there is a good story to be told.

Rating : 7/10