The Good Shepherd (2006)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert De Niro

Writer (WGA):

Eric Roth (written by)

Release Date:

22 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Edward Wilson believed in America, and he would sacrifice everything he loved to protect it.

Plot:

The tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency is viewed through the prism of one man's life.

Plot Keywords:

Cold War | CIA | Idealism | Suicide | Spy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Matt Damon	...	Edward Wilson
Angelina Jolie	...	Margaret 'Clover' Russell
Alec Baldwin	...	Sam Murach
Tammy Blanchard	...	Laura
Billy Crudup	...	Arch Cummings
Robert De Niro	...	Bill Sullivan
Keir Dullea	...	Senator John Russell, Sr.
Michael Gambon	...	Dr. Fredericks
Martina Gedeck	...	Hanna Schiller
William Hurt	...	Philip Allen
Timothy Hutton	...	Thomas Wilson
Mark Ivanir	...	Valentin Mironov #2
Gabriel Macht	...	John Russell, Jr.
Lee Pace	...	Richard Hayes
Joe Pesci	...	Joseph Palmi

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

167 min | Russia:139 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | German | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #43094) | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 | Portugal:M/12 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Argentina:13 | Italy:T | South Korea:18 | Germany:12 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Malaysia:18PL | Denmark:15 | Sweden:15 | Norway:15 | Netherlands:16 | Malaysia:U (DVD) | Brazil:14 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

49-51 Chambers Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Joe Pesci's first movie in 8 years.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Edward and Laura watch a newsreel filmed in Poland under German occupation; Several days later - enough time had elapsed for Edward to assist the FBI in exposing the members of "The American German Cultural Committee" - the couple go dancing and there they hear the announcement of Britain and France's war declaration on Germany. In reality, that event occurred on Sep. 3rd, 1939, merely 2 days after the invasion of Poland; Bear in mind that in WW-II era it took days for a newsreel to reach from the front to the theaters.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Miriam: You are safe here with me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Anche-Lej-Amaleh

Slow, boring and disappointed

Sorry to say but this Movie was a HUGE disappointment in my opinion. Please, do NOT get me wrong, the performances from Damon and Jolie were great, although it's not always about the performance. I think Mr. DeNiro forgot that we'd be sitting in a dark stuffy room for 2½ hours while watching this flick.

Basically the pace of the movie is extremely slow and drags and drags and drags, without advancing your feeling throughout the movie, thus making it boring. I felt like I was on a treadmill, the movie was going, but it wasn't going anywhere. There were constant flashbacks that made it very confusing as well. Also, it's a story on how the CIA was born so there was a lot of speaking in code which made it even more confusing. I think only someone who is employed in a similar profession as Damon's character would understand, appreciate and enjoy this movie. The only thing I kept thinking was, "How much longer until the end??"

Definitely this is NOT DeNiro's best movie while behind the camera in my opinion. Personally my favorite of his while director, A BRONX TALE. That movie is brilliant.

In conclusion, I'd wait for the DVD so you could stop it when you decide you've got better things to do than watch this movie. Plus, you'd save $6 from renting movie versus buying a ticket at the theatre. I only wish I could've spent that $10 on gas.