A Finely Disguised Mess

Rating: 3/10 (25 December 2006)

"The Good Shepherd" is a semi-engaging, but ultimately flawed film that cannot seem to find a way to make any point or to develop more than one of its characters. This is a shame, as the cast (particularly director/co-star De Niro, Billy Crudup, Timothy Hutton -- in a very abbreviated appearance, and Oleg Stefan) want to make this a meaningful film.
Instead, "The Good Shepherd" finds itself fumbling the story of Edward Wilson and his experiences from Yale in 1939 to working for the CIA in 1961. Without ever developing or realizing the world from which Wilson must have come -- the WASPish, old-money, perpetual holders of power, or giving any insight into the world into which Wilson later finds himself, De Niro instead takes nearly three hours to present a perpetually quiet (and perhaps shy) Wilson, portrayed awkwardly by Matt Damon, and little else. The most revealing and truthful (to the Wilson character) line comes in an almost throw-away scene later in the film, but even then De Niro fails to capitalize on it.
"The Good Shepherd" is well shot, and it demonstrates a high level of respect for both the eras (late 1930s-early 1960s) and to film conventions that help audiences identify with them (though De Niro handles the music selection for the film admirably). Throughout it, and ultimately more so at the end, "The Good Shepherd" simply has nothing to say.