"Hello Mother...There's Been a Stranger in our House"

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2006)

Matt Damon gives an "out of this world" performance in SHEPHERD and his strength of character and his subtle handling of "Mr. Wilson"-an irony for the lead character to be named after President Woodrow Wilson who wanted "isolationism" for the United States-throughout the film is one to admire and remember. From the first scene to the last, "Mother" was a tower of strength in taking on the enemies of the United States for The CIA.
Oh yes, "The" should be connected only with God, but in many ways the CIA played that role in its fight to dominate the world and make it safe for the "American brand of democracy", perhaps colored and shaped from that infamous fraternity, Skull and Bones.
Angelina Jolie also is wonderful in her role as the wife who suffered from her husband's absence and his own personal brand of isolationism towards his family. Her luscious beauty was perfectly captured in her role on the screen.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD is first and foremost such an intelligent and well written, directed and produced film with a great cast and a vast array of well constructed characters. But Matt Damon was like an orchestra leader in conducting the fascinating story of espionage and for providing us with a character who had the strength and wisdom of being "the good shepherd" for our CIA. I hope Mr. Damon will be awarded at Oscar time for a nomination as leading actor, as he well deserves it for bringing to the screen such an intense, intelligent and emotionally deprived character as Mr. Wilson.