The Good Shepherd - 2007

Directed By: Robert De Niro
Cast: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, John Turturro, Alec Baldwin, Robert De Niro, William Hurt, Tammy Blanchard, Billy Crudup, Keir Dullea, Michael Gambon, Timothy Hutton, Joe Pesci, Eddie Redmayne
Released: 23-02-2007

Robert De Niro directorial debut was A Bronx Tale. Made 14 years ago, one wonders how much of a draw directing is for America’s greatest actor. Here, with The Good Shepherd, De Niro has attempted to create an epic thriller about the birth of the CIA. Matt Damon, who’s other CIA inspired thriller The Bourne franchise, is reinventing the action movie, plays a man who deals in information, or dis-information. The film plays out against the fallout of the Bay of Pigs. Damon’s Edward Wilson was somehow involved in its planning and preparation, though we never confidently know his role exactly. After the catastrophe, the CIA is looking for someone to blame. This becomes the set up for the film as a series of flashbacks going back to Damon as a child, him being recruited by the government, via some strong freemaosns like secret club called Skull and Bones. Then we are launched into the war. Information becomes vital, and Damon, despite having numerous mentors is always told the same thing. Trust no one. We see how his work with the CIA and association to his secret society destroys his marriage and relationships, a stand out performance from Tammy Blanchard as a death girl who falls for Damon. One of the few characters who compels genuine empathy. Angelina Jolie, as ordinary as usual plays wife to Damon’s secretive, detached workaholic.

Throughout the course of the film various famous faces pop up delivering superb performances, but despite this the film never pulls you in. At almost three hours the film is far too long and could do with exorcises some unnecessary exposition to propel the drama. That ultimately is this films downfall. Although this is film about the CIA and at various stages, underhanded things occur, there is never a sense of impending danger, just a mystery about a mystery. The film keeps its card so close to it chest, and is so intent of being contemplative, drawing out the story, unfolding it subtly before our eyes, that ultimately you left with vague assumptions about what’s going on. You could even go as far as to say that De Niro has attempted to create a story as dense and convoluted as The Godfather films, but with the magisterial direction of Coppola or the intriguing and captivating story of Mario Puzo.

What this film does have is great performances. Damon though detached and therefore never gaining our alliance is still perfectly cast as the quiet, methodical perfectionist who’s serving his country and neglecting his family. John Turturro is perhaps the strongest performer her giving his character a nice humour, but complements it with a dark violent side. Alec Baldwin is a watchable as ever, whilst Joe Pesci makes a rather pointless and somewhat unexplained cameo. De Niro himself pops up as Bill Sullivan, one of the men responsible for setting up the CIA. De Niro is watchable, like always, but his performance is low key and is never played for the dramatic weight you feel De Niro is hoping for. That can be said about most of the film. Michael Gambon, is great but has insufficient material with which to captivate his audience. Billy Crudup is superb as a British Intelligence Agency but again, his character never seems to have any overriding significance.

What this film is is a failure to create a story which has the dramatic impetus it so desperately needs. Damon’s character is never in danger, we never get a sense of what’s a stake for him, His family is always distant, his work seems to be his life, but we never get a sense how he would feel about losing it. Even when the final acts eventually draws in and his family becomes embroiled in the drama of his work and uncovering the leak which led to the failure at the Bay of Pigs the film never quite seems to get out of second gear or rank the tension up. There are moments to enjoy, some rather disturbing deaths and some clever moments of espionage but they just stand to highlight the flaws in film.

De Niro has attempted to create his Magnus Opus and should be commended for it. As should all the actors. But lifeless drama and an ineffectual, convoluted and confusing script renders any hope of dramatic tension or intrigue redundant in what could have been one of the great political thrillers.