Entertaining Whitewashing of a Fictional Version of James Angleton

Rating: 7/10 (7 November 2008)

I enjoyed "The Good Shepard" as an entertaining movie about a fictional character. However, any suggestion that this almost normal Wilson character is the very screwed up James "Jesus" Angleton degrades the movie by a significant percentage.
Angleton leaves a lot to be desired as any form of "Good Shepard" and more like an accomplished black mailer in a position he never deserved to occupy. If this movie is meant to represent Angleton as a misunderstood genius in counter intelligence, forget it. It could only be considered a crude whitewashing of a person who is more likely a traitor, black mailer, and a mole handler when all is known about the strange character.
If you don't agree, read about how Robert Hannsen became an FBI counter intelligence agent, FBI liaison with the CIA, and Russian mole who was supposed to be looking for himself and other moles for years. How would this happen if Angleton was worth 2 cents in establishing any sort of counter intelligence? He was too busy blackmailing everyone.
If you look at this movie as pure fiction, it comes across far better than any real look at how the Skull & Bones, CIA, or other agencies operate. The romantic introduction of Angelina Jolie as "Clover" helps significantly, along with the less than ideal married home life.
The story of a fictional life of a CIA recruit taken with continuous grains of salt and artistic license combines with a minimal look at how organizations that might network together produce people who take themselves too seriously is what we get. Reality is far cruder, and far less heroic.