The Good Shepherd (***1/2)

? The story of a CIA man (Matt Damon) from the organization’s origins as the wartime OSS to the aftermath of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. This is Robert DeNiro’s second movie as a director (after 1991’s A Bronx Tale). Munich’s Eric Roth wrote the screenplay.

+ DeNiro and Roth utilize a back-and-forth flashback structure and a puzzle-like plot to build suspense. In the 1961 scenes, Damon’s character, Edward Wilson, tirelessly works with voice and film analysts to trace a short film clip to its source, which somehow will explain the reasons for the failure of the invasion. In the other scenes, Wilson evolves from a callow college student with an affinity for poetry to an experienced counterintelligence expert coolly engineering Central American coups, a man for whom code names, hidden messages, and eavesdropping are commonplaces. As with the Mossad agents of Munich, Wilson lives in a world where attachment to others is a vulnerability, and where he can trust no one. The expertly explored themes of trust, loyalty, and secrecy pervade the movie and lead to the fateful decision Wilson must make at the end. Damon gives a brilliant portrayal of Wilson, and DeNiro’s direction is precise and understated, with a meticulous attention to detail. The supporting performances stand out, especially John Turturro as Wilson’s right-hand man. Angelina Jolie is pretty good in the later scenes, less so when her character is supposedly to be a flirty blueblood trying to entice Wilson.

- The main reason even those who like political thrillers may dislike the movie is the bloodless nature of its main character. Although the plot directly revolves around his character traits, Wilson is not by any means likeable, and perhaps isn’t even knowable. Also missing is any detail about what the CIA actually accomplished, and whether it helped or hurt America. I don’t know that this is a flaw, but it contributes to the overall detached feel. Thus, when tragedy strikes, you’ll not be reaching for your handkerchief. On a technical note, most of the characters look exactly the same in 1939 as 22 years later.

= ***1/2 This is a long movie that didn’t seem long, though it gathers its suspense from tension slowly built up and character interaction, not action scenes. You probably won’t want to watch this if you’ve never heard of the Bay of Pigs, don’t like movies with tricky plots, and insist on likeable characters. There’s a lot to absorb here, and the more I think about it, the smarter it seems how everything fits together. But it’s definitely a chilly movie.

IMDb link