Interesting as history; Weak as "story"

Rating: 7/10 (9 May 2007)

The strong, silent type was a staple of old Hollywood. There is an art to making an outwardly dull and lifeless character appear mysterious and interesting in a film - a lost art. If director Robert De Niro knows the secret, he was unable to teach it to Matt Damon. The main redeeming quality of The Good Shepherd is its depiction of the good old boy network, specifically the Skull and Bones, and its role in the creation of the CIA. The film should have been a documentary instead of a drama.
Like the characters in the film, the viewer never knows who to trust, who is lying and who is telling the truth. The result is a muddle. Hitchcock would have known how to handle the story. He would have shown us some things the main character did not know, creating dramatic irony and anxiety. This film merely leaves us wondering what the heck is going on. After a while, frustration trumps curiosity. The sense of bewilderment is aggravated by a plodding, somber soundtrack that frequently drowns out the dialog. It is a weak film that needs cellos to say, "This is ominous."
There are some very good performances in the film, but not by the top three on the billing. Tammy Blanchard is endearing as Laura, a deaf young woman who is so lovable you just want to hug her. She would be mesmerizing in a bitter-sweet romance, maybe directed by Woody Allen. John Turturro predictably turns in a brilliant performance as Damon's assistant. Robert De Niro gives us a welcome break from self-parody with a solid performance as an old-school general. Michael Gambon and Mark Ivanir both deserve kudos. Joe Pesci is good, as usual, in a superfluous cameo. Did the editors leave Pesci in because he is "The" Joe Pesci?
For all its faults, the film is worth watching, at least until a documentary on the subject comes out.