A great sad huge spy epic.

Rating: 7/10 (13 February 2007)

For anyone who remembers and cares when Hollywood produced interesting films for adults in the 60s and 70s, titles like The Manchurian Candidate, The Great Gatsby, The Conversation, The Godfather / 2 , Chinatown and in the 80s, Tucker are celebrated and revered..... Well here is a 160 minute drama that in a combination of all of those titles, and impeccably produced by Francis Ford Coppolla.... and with an astonishing Directorship by Robert de Niro. THE GOOD SHEPHERD is an excellent and absorbing drama, a spy thriller that is about a wonderful charming youth turned into soulless man via the emotional cruelty of politics and espionage. Many parallel 2007 themes are obvious, right down to a folded paper suicide note burning down in a miniature image of the World Trade Centers falling. Scenes set in the 20s and 30s are superbly evoked and overall the art direction and set design and imagery of this expensive thoughtful film is as interesting as the grey subject matter itself. Then front and center is Matt Damon yet again fully shouldering a huge and absorbing epic level classic style drama. He is never less than mesmerizing and astonishing. Angelina Jolie is even gorgeous and fascinating in what would normally be the Sharon Stone role. Perfectly cast edited and realized this is one great paced spy drama that is as heartbreaking as it is real.