The Good Shepherd (2006)

O An excellent must-see
O Good rental choice
X Mediocre
O Rent something else

Review by Jason Pyles / April 3, 2007

Imagine a movie made about that gnome statue that travels around, taking photographs of itself in exotic locales. Now imagine that this stone-faced gnome is a CIA forefather who hardly ever speaks, and you’ve got Matt Damon in “The Good Shepherd.”

“The Good Shepherd” tells two main stories (both fictionalized) in a flashback-and-forth style. The frequent jumps in time are easy to follow because they are labeled well. The “present” storyline takes place in April 1961, amid the Bay of Pigs fiasco. The top-secret mission associated with the events was leaked, and it’s the job of Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) to find out who the rat is.

“The Good Shepherd” also chronicles the rocky beginnings of the CIA, flashing back as far as 1939. We see the growing pains of the agency as it passes through World War II into the Cold War.

This edited version still depicts a scene of mild torture and includes a racial slur. More than anything, “The Good Shepherd” is slow and dull, dragging us through the doldrums with a runtime that approaches three hours. Yes, I understood the movie; no, I wasn’t impressed.

Directed by Robert De Niro
Matt Damon / Angelina Jolie / John Turturro
167 min. Drama / Mystery
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 15 and up

DVD release date: April 3, 2007
Copyright 2007.
JP0065 : 189