The CIA and not CIA because they are not GOD

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 2007)

It was a nostalgic film in 2006 when the wars started by George W. Bush in Afghanistan and Iraq were turning stale and sinking in the quagmire of all colonial and imperialistic wars. It was of course a comment on these wars like when Edward Wilson says "We are trying to make wars small." That is sure right if we can say so without sounding sarcastic, even at the time. They were in the process of getting their fingers into Vietnam after the defeat of the Bay of Pigs and Cuba. Of course far worse was to come, precisely Afghanistan and Iraq. They financed Al Qaeda in Afghanistan against the Soviet who pulled out rather fast. And now the USA have to face them and some dissidents or alternative factions in the fields George W. Bush decided all by himself and like a big boy to invade.
That was a time when intelligence was important against Hitler but they met with Soviet spies in Germany and they did not necessarily have the upper hand. In fact, they were infiltrated very early after the war and in spite of what the film implies, that was not the cause of their lack of success and their future failures. They failed because the objective was wrong: they wanted to manipulated governments and states in other countries, hence their objective was imperialistic and that went against the grain of history that was witnessing the fall of all big colonial empires and the withering of any kind of imperialistic ambitions. They also went against the grain of the new phase of our human development that was and still is based on economic growth and welfare state policies.
But the film shows far too well that the life of such spies is not a human life. Far from home, far from wives and children, entangled in all kinds of affairs and constantly the target of rival spying factions that try to get some information and leverage over you by getting something about you that should not become public (blackmail) or by menacing your spouses or your children.
The film is well performed by seasoned actors though the shifting in time is at times difficult to follow in spite of the places and dates given now and then, though not all the time (where is the scene in Africa: Ivory Coast or Congo Kinshasa?). The most difficult problem was simply Matt Damon who was running in the film from the late 30s to the early 60s and he really was the same man not looking in anyway younger when necessary and older when needed. It is surprising because nowadays the make-up department of any studio can do a better job.
At times here and there we have some extremely arrogant and irritating remarks that are supposed to be pieces of humor like the following:
Richard Hayes: I remember a senator once asked me. When we talk about "CIA" why we never use the word "the" in front of it. And I asked him, do you put the word "the" in front of "God"?
That's the arrogance of George W. Bush who was pushed aside by Obama for eight years in 2008 who in his turn tried to have diplomacy prevail, though he was obsessive and obsessional about cyber security and cyber intelligence and had everyone in the world eavesdropped upon by the CIA. Note I must be old fashioned and from outside the institution because I do say THE CIA, but also THE FBI and a few others.
The film will tell you how foolish of Trump if he were to start another front somewhere in the world. But there is no one more foolish than, a populist politician or a circus clown. The difference is that when the populist politician falls on his face it is in the midst of maximum destruction and mass killings, whereas a clown falls on his face to make children laugh. Sooner or later Trump will be the monster in the closet that will come out "if you do not go to sleep immediately." How many lateral, bilateral and collateral victims will you count in six months? Already several thousands in just a few weeks.
Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU