The General's Daughter - 1999

Paramount Pictures, Neufeld Rehme Productions, MFP Munich Film Partners GmbH & Company I. Produktions KG

Directed by Simon West

Cast:

• Warrant Officer Paul Brenner – John Travolta
• Warrant Officer Sara Sunhill – Madeline Stowe
• Lt. General Joseph Campbell – James Cromwell
• Col. William Kent – Timothy Hutton
• Col. George Fowler – Clarence Williams III
• Capt. Elizabeth Campbell – Leslie Stefanson
• Col. Robert Moore – James Woods
• Police Chief Yardley – Daniel von Bargen

Story: An Army Criminal Investigations Division Agent, Warrant Officer Paul Brenner, is undercover investigating the illegal sales of weapons to a civilian at Fort MacCallum. He is about to arrest the civilian when his suspect attempts to murder him and is killed in the process. As he is finishing up reporting to the local sheriff, he gets a call. When he arrives at a training area on the fort, he sees the body of a young woman lying staked to the ground and MP's all around. He has met her before, she helped him change a flat tire the night before. Also on the scene is a CID rape counselor and investigator, WO Sara Sunhill, with whom Brenner has had previous relations. Soon they discover the victim is none other than the daughter of the soon to retire General Campbell. As the two investigators probe into the crime, they discover a trail of coverups that lead back to West Point, the academy where the General's Daughter attended. Suspect after suspect is investigated until the truth is revealed, a truth the Army did not want revealed.

Review: Just how far should the military be allowed to “take care of it's own”? That is the underlying question in this fictional account of a rape covered over for the “good of the service”. Or was it? Travolta is at his best in this suspenseful thriller that places him between the proverbial rock and hard place. Is he a soldier first or a police officer? James Woods is equally good as the Commander and friend of the victim, and his position as the head of Psychological Warfare group makes him an interesting foil for the questions the investigator must ask. Madeline Stowe presents an interesting character as the skilled rape investigator who uncovers the perpetrators with a “minimum of effort”, and her conversations with Travolta (the character's ex-lover) bring out an interesting sub plot to the film. While the other actors in the film are adequate to the plot, the main conflict lies with Travolta and Stowe, so the remainder of the cast plays “second fiddle”. With scenes of nudity, sexual sadism, language and violence being strung throughout the film, it is well deserving of the R rating. While not particularly collectible, this film should be seen by any lover of a good drama with a surprising ending.

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.