A Great Cast, A Disappointing Result

Rating: 6/10 (28 June 2017)

Disappointing. What else can you say about a film that is much less than the sum of its parts? Second-time director Robert DeNiro does a credible job with this story about the CIA and the inner rot and sickness that must result from an organization based upon secrecy and lies. But the story itself lacks drama as told.
Sporting one of the greatest casts ever assembled, "The Good Shepherd" follows predictable plot lines and regurgitates the commonly accepted history of an organization that seeks to make laws, not follow them. How can you lower your expectations when a film features Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, Robert De Niro, William Hurt, Timothy Hutton, Gabriel Macht, Lee Pace, Joe Pesci, Eddie Redmayne, John Turturro and others?
Damon's character, Edward Wilson, is at the center of every scene. He is played as a solitary, emotionally-detached, emotionless drone who feels more like a victim than a perpetrator.
The plot is disjointed. And, perhaps more importantly, it lacks a point of view. Not that we need to be told what to think, but a film that lacks a consistent or comprehensive viewpoint is like a ship without a rudder: it will travel and it will arrive at a (random) destination, but the journey will reveal little except that winds blow.
Edward Wilson certainly is a character buffeted by the winds, but they are mostly winds of unknown origin and hidden intent. It's a story that rings true, but it is uncompelling.