Character study of a man in the CIA

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2009)

I saw this movie for the second time and found it every bit as good in 2009 as it was in 2006. It has a British atmosphere, quite different from Matt Damon's other work. It is a psychological spy story about a young man who makes his career with the CIA from the time of its creation. He stays there and the nature of the work takes a toll; in fact, it overtakes his life. The protagonists are engaged in a career of civilian warfare. We witness the old boy network from the upper-crust schools, the lack of real friendships and trust, and the failed home life. Damon's character evolves from a liberal arts student at Yale where he is smart and respected to a shadowy, stooped figure who realizes what his life has done to him. (The comments about him not ageing are not particularly relevant because you can sense it in his acting.) The character does not say this in so many words but it is clear that he has regrets. He is a private man who can keep confidences and this is why he was recruited for the position as a young man. In the end, he comes to grips with the person he has become but he is still capable of knowing the difference between virtue and vice, despite a career that is morally neutral. Angelina Jolie is the long-suffering wife and plays it to a tee. The expanding gulf between them does not diminish their love for their only child, played by a talented young performer, Eddie Redmayne. Because of him, Damon shows that he is still a human being.
His mentors are played by performers like Michael Gambon (who pays a price for his indiscretions) and Robert DeNiro, who shows he is capable of not being completely consumed by the organization he headed up. There are brief appearances by actors like Joe Pesci, Keir Dullea (who goes back over 50 years), and Tim Hutton. His old girlfriend Laura (Tammy Blanchard) was his first love and he has a touching encounter with her much later in life.
A very good movie and a class act by Matt Damon.