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 Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Malaysia:18PL | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Denmark: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:

The violinist providing the solo soundtrack near the end of the movie was Lindsay Deutsch, from Los Angeles.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The scenes in war-time London show the characters walking outside at night under working street-lights, but London's streetlights were not turned on during war-time, in order to make it more difficult for German bombers to locate their targets.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Middleman: The Palindrome Reversal Palindrome (#1.12)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Where or When

Not for the dim or distracted, an outstanding film.

Not for the dim or distracted, this outstanding trans-generational exploration of father/son paranoia and betrayal fueled by unresolved oedipal turmoil takes us on a historical tour of US Intelligence from the OSS of World War II to the Bay of Pigs. Acting, editing and directing are all superb. The characters are complex and vital, and the relationships textured.

No narrative spoon-feeding here. The viewer shares in the protagonist's bewilderment of who's who and what's what, which may be more than the viewer bargained for. If a second screening is needed to sort out the nuance of it all, consider it well worth the cost of the ticket. -Doug