Central Intelligence

Rating: Null/10 (1 February 2017)

Very loosely based on the life of the CIA Head of Counterintelligence during the 1960s, this drama looks at the early years of the agency and its difficulties with the Bay of Pigs. The structure is quite innovative with the film flipping back and forth between the World War II years and the 1960s as the protagonist, played by Matt Damon, is haunted by memories of past failures after being accused of an intelligence leak. Engaging as all this sounds, the film is oddly hard to get through. The lack of makeup to age Damon is the most obvious vice; the story is impossible to follow at times with it unclear whether certain scenes are taking place in the 1940s or 1960s. Then there is the absence of any passage of time between Damon's son as a preteen and adult (Eddie Redmayne is great in the role though). The film's biggest setback though is the fact that Damon's character is cold, reserved and uncharismatic throughout. With his constant poor choices in life, he becomes an incredibly hard person to like. He is not just flawed but almost without virtue. That said, his extreme willingness to put his work/country ahead of his family is certainly curious and the overall film offers a fascinating portrait of individuals doing morally ambiguous things in the name of protecting their country - the most memorable of which is using LSD in an interrogation (with obvious results). Add in a solid supporting turn from Tammy Blanchard, and 'The Good Shepherd' certainly has a number of things going in its favour, but one's mileage is likely to vary based on patience and interest in the subject matter.