A very specific and subjective film...

Rating: 8/10 (27 June 2007)

Okay, this is just one of those films that is not for everyone; and in this case it is not because of strong or unusual content but simply because not everyone is gonna find this film entertaining...
If you are a person who feels that a film should 'entertain' (which can mean MANY different things from intellectual stimulation to damn good looking strippers : ) then you might be one of the HALF of the viewers who found it boring, dull, unemotional, etc. However, if you happen to be one of the OTHER half of the people who have seen this who really enjoyed it, you'd have to appreciate it simply for the way the story itself was crafted and told, and even acted. Even then, of those who DO rate the movie highly, there are MANY who complain of it being too long, or too confusing, or particularly that Matt Damon's acting was too 'Wooden' or 'Unemotional' or that he 'Does not have the emotional depth' to portray this character.
BUT, and it's a BIG BUT like Mariah Carrey's, remember that this was a PET PROJECT of De Niros for several years and it was his vision; so, likely the 'way' that Damon portrayed the character was specifically DIRECTED. If you think Damon cannot act at all just go back and see 'GOOD WILL HUNTING'. Don't get me wrong, I most certainly do NOT think that he is one of the better or greater actors around, but I do feel in my lowly and wretched opinion that De Niro crafted the film EXACTLY the way he wanted it presented. But, that doesn't mean that everyone is gonna like it or find it personally 'entertaining'.
To me, the time went VERY quickly by and I personally felt completely 'gripped' by the story. I didn't feel that it was too long; actually, I don't have any complaints about it at all, really. Remember too, that a number of the Cold War Spy Films in the 1960's, the ones done very seriously, were almost downright morose in mood. Very serious and realistic, along the same lines as this film but not nearly as complex or polished. 'THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD' for example, was likely considered NOT 'entertaining' to many. Also too, many of the British Spy Films were sort of like this one too in the sense of being heavily weighed down by characters and details as opposed to straight out 'ACTION' which would be considered more 'entertaining' by people in general.
So, all in all, an extremely well crafted film and well acted by all (YES, even the 'wooden' Damon, who remember is becoming emotionally zombified pretty much because of all the stuff he has to do) Oh yes, someone wrote here too that they felt that the editing was poorly done; I have to take GREAT exception to that. If you feel that the film should have been shorter, then fine. But the actual editing was done extremely well. Just check out the scene where they are 'interrogating' the Russian guy, not to mention many other key scenes where the editing is done so well that the tension is racked up almost to an unbearable degree.
An excellent film, just not for everyone...