The Good Shepherd - 2006

Universal Pictures, Morgan Creek Productions, Tribeca Productions

Directed by Robert De Niro

Cast:

• Edward Wilson – Matt Damon
• Margaret “Clover” Wilson – Angelina Jolie
• Sam Murach – Alec Baldwin
• Laura – Tammy Blanchard
• Arch Cummings – Billy Crudup
• Bill Sullivan – Robert De Niro
• Dr. Fredericks – Michael Gambon
• Philip Allen – William Hurt
• Thomas Wilson – Timothy Hutton
• Joseph Palmi – Joe Pesci
• Ray Brocco – John Turturro

Story: Based loosely on true events, so much so that this film was reviewed and studied by a committee at the CIA. We open with a man in Washington, DC boarding a bus for work. On the bus, a mother sends her boy to ask him for change for a dollar. When he arrives at work, the serial number of the dollar is compared to a list and is verified as a coded message. We now cut to Yale University in 1939, where a young man is asked to join a secret society known and the Skull and Bones. This is a society of powerful men whose influence has elected a president, senators, congressmen, and has connections to every part of American life. They are the people who are sought out when there are needs in the government, and Edward Wilson is their choice for a very special task. His reputation for silence and confidentiality is well-known, and his ability to observe and understand is considerable. Over a span of 30 years, we observe the growth of the OSS into the CIA and watch the effects on Edward Wilson's life. In the end, we are left with the most haunting of questions: To survive in the intelligence community, can you ever trust anyone?

Review: Robert De Niro reveals his depth in this extensive character study of the counterintelligence branch of the Central Intelligence Agency. From the first moments of the film, we are intrigued by our look into one of the secret societies of Ivy League universities, and their influences on American society. Matt Damon's character is strangely static throughout the film...or is it? This is a film of subtlety and innuendo, a film you will have to see at least twice to understand entirely. Angelina Jolie gives us a surprising look into her abilities as an actress. Gone is the determined, focused, independent woman we have seen in so many of her films. Alec Baldwin provides an element of stability in a film where nothing remains the same. With a breadth of talent seldom seen in a single film, De Niro provides a story of how the intelligence community has shaped the American perspective since the 1940's, and the depth of their intrigue. Rated R for sex, language, violence and content, this is a film for the grownups. The links above will provide additional information about the background and plot of the film.