Slow, but had the foreboding nature necessary for good spy film

Rating: 7/10 (28 December 2006)

The comment by an identity-stolen soviet spy midway through this film that Russia was rust and could barely hold itself together and that the Cold War was a USA invention reminded me of what my tax man said about the IRS, "everyone worries without cause about an audit; hell, the IRS can barely keep its doors open it is so incompetent."
Maybe Russia was incompetent and the Cold War was a USA invention to keep taxpayers paying big taxes to the gov't to support it, and to give them something to hate other than their own corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. At times during this film, I was leaning strongly toward those views, as the people shown, who were supposed to protect us, were so corrupt and wrong-headed about what is good for America that they were obviously of the same breed that is causing this country so much of its world trouble today. Remember, the Skull and Bones Society of politically ambitious, "patriotic" Yale men displayed so often in the film is also the secret club where the two Bush failures-as-president got their "patriotic" start. Hmmmm.
Matt Damon as the main spy Edward Wilson was a curious casting choice for the humorless lead spy, with his ageless boyish face and big toothy grin. Not whom I would have chosen for the part, but he did a serviceable job in a glum role. I once knew a retired FBI lifer and he was life-of-the-party cheerful, so the mostly somber, life-or-death tone of the CIA lifers in this film may not have been accurately depicted. William Hurt, Bob DeNiro, and Michael Gambon were terrific as high level CIA operatives/executives, as was Wilson's deaf girlfriend, a gorgeous Judy Garland lookalike. Angie Jolie was even pretty good as Wilson's bored and detached wife but was pretty much wasted in her role.
Overall, I thought the film accomplished its end of showing how seriously close we came to war during the Bay of Pigs episode, which would have been enough material for any sensible film. But, no, it was an overlong epic running the course of about 40 years, with too many unnecessary side stories thrown in along the way that damaged the pacing and flow of a good spy tale, but that is the way of Hollywood film-making these days, as one good story doesn't seem to be enough for them when ten lesser ones are possible. That way, there is "something for everyone", but that can ruin even a great film by trying to get all of the available paying butts in the theater seats instead of just those wanting a great spy film with no unrealistic distractions thrown in.