No Heros Here

Rating: 6/10 (28 May 2007)

The word that comes to mind to describe this film is "melancholy". This realistic and thoughtful portrayal of the CIA from birth to the mid sixties is bathed in melancholy. The sets, costumes, backgrounds, music are all shadows and fog. The acting - across the board - is excellent. The De Niro character (based on Donovan, creator of the OSS, precursor to the CIA) is the only one who doesn't fit into the white, Yale, upper class world of the CIA in its infancy. Be prepared for a world of deceit and treachery. The ending doesn't pull any punches, and does De Niro proud. No Hollywood ending here. This is the brutal, ugly world of espionage. The film could have stood some editing, for sure. And the out of chronological order of the film, especially the sixties was a tad confusing.