An Intellectual and Somber Spy Movie

Rating: 9/10 (22 January 2019)

6 January 2007. This underplayed movie is a strong spy drama that captures the ethical, relational, and mental dilemmas facing the dark secrets of espionage over decades. It is commendable that this all-star cast performed with serious and uncharacteristic underperformance that requires the best acting. The somber, slow pacing focused on the twists and turns, the uncertainties, and the pitfalls of the high stakes game. Great acting and solid plot configuration. With the exception of the lack of a completely satisfying character development and fulfilling character interaction within Matt Damon's character's family and the somewhat loose ends of the movie, The Good Shepard is among the best of the year. Eight out of Ten Stars.
Updated review. Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie star in this dark dramatic portrayal of one man's transformation as an agent during the formative years of the Central Intelligence Agency up through to the invasion of Cuba in the Bay of Pigs. This is character-driven, cerebral movie is thought-provoking with its underlying reflective nature of the inhumanity of employment, particularly in the field of espionage. This movie also delves into the elitist society of the upper-crust of America, the obligations and conflicts and sacrifices of duty, of marriage, and even love. By the end of The Good Shepard, questions of what is "good" and the metaphysical meaning of living one's life have been laid bare.
Of the various subgenres, blockbuster action as such Casino Royale (2006) Mission: Impossible (1996) True Lies (1994) or comedy Red (2010) Get Smart (2008) Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Spy Kids (2001) Casino Royale (1967) Agent Cody Banks (2003) Spies Like Us (1985) Our Man Flint (1966) Undercover Blues (1993) or sophisticated action State of Play (2009) The Kingdom (2007) Ronin (1998) La Femme Nikita (1990) Billion Dollar Brain (1967) or The Three Days of Condor (1975), The Good Shepard falls into the dramatic category along the likes of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) Topaz (1969) The Tailor of Panama (2001) Eye of the Needle (1981) The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) The Ipcress File (1965) The Fourth Protocol (1987) The Russia House (1990). The movie also presents a fascinating use of and difficult but well executed editing of the movie with a lot of flashbacks revealing two parallel time streams as they both chronological unfold showing Matt Damon's growth as a young child who experiences his father's mysterious revelation and a letter that he keeps for himself into an intelligence agent and the sequence of events surrounding the Bay of Pigs and its aftermath in the intelligence community. What makes this movie stand out is its extensive focus on the psychological profile and character development of a single individual, the impact of his job on his relationships that are solidly depicted as much so as in A Man and A Woman (French, 1966), American Beauty (2000) and family dynamic found in The Tree of Life (2011) and his morals as found in Breach (2007) or The Falcon and the Snowman (1985). The Good Shepard presents an even greater existential angst than the personality focused The Wrestler (2008) with an echo of Chinatown (1974) but with even more somber seriousness, though not as emotional shocking or wrenching as William H. Macy's descent in Edmond (2006 - released in 2005) and accompanying Christian Slater in He Was a Quiet Man (2007), or as surrealistic, or fantastic as Anthony Hopkin's Slip Stream (2007). Instead, Matt Damon's character might be more likened to the doctor in The King of Scotland (2006) or the unbalanced, tilted life of Robin William's character in One Hour Photo (2002) or the associated emotive ending of Angela Jolie's character in Changeling (2008) or surprisingly the closest resemblance coming in Gillian Anderson's dramatic and emotionally riveting performance in House of Mirth (2000). At the same time, there is an engaging and somewhat surprising extended investigative, analysis component that rivals or exceeds its more contemporary movies like Spy Game (2001). Matt Damon would get to unwind later in the rather wry comedic intelligence movie The Informant! (2009) playing a employee having to contend with the FBI.