The Good Shepherd review

In only his second credited job of directing, Robert De Niro has created a dense, methodical and absorbing drama about one of the CIA's founding operatives. At nearly three hours long, and involving an interweaving story of family, honor and loyalty, The Good Shepherd bears similarities to another film De Niro was involved in: The Godfather. One other parallel is the A-list cast, led by Matt Damon's studied portrayal of the taciturn Edward Wilson.

Screenwriter Eric Roth, whose credits include The Insider and Munich, shows once again an ability to tackle a complex subject while never losing sight of the personal impact of events. The Good Shepherd unfolds over decades, cutting back and forth as it explores the CIA's involvement in such momentous events as World War II and the Cuban crisis. But at its heart is one man struggling to reconcile his secretive and consuming career with being a father.

The character of Edward Wilson is loosely based on James Jesus Angleton, the revered chief of the CIA's Counterintelligence department. Fiercely bright with a love of poetry, the clinical and unemotional Wilson is described by his colleague Ray Brocco (John Turturro) as an 'SOB with no sense of humour'. While at Yale, he is approached by FBI agent Sam Murach (Alec Baldwin) to gather information about a secret society at the University with Nazi sympathies. This leads to an offer from Bill Sullivan (Robert De Niro), who has been put in charge of Roosevelt's foreign intelligence unit, to go to war torn London.

The six-year assignment comes a week after his marriage to senator's daughter Clover (Angelina Jolie). On the prowl for the 'perfect husband', she throws herself at Wilson and gets pregnant. Wilson does the expected thing, even though his heart belongs to Laura (Tammy Blanchard), a deaf girl he'd recently met. Being separated from his son was hard for Wilson whose difficult relationship with his own father was abruptly ended by his father's suicide.

Wilson's impassive manner is ideally suited to his covert work in the Office of Strategic Services, a job where, Sullivan tells him, 'no matter what anyone ever tells you, there will be no-one you can really trust.'

The Good Shepherd offers a fascinating behind the scenes glimpse into the CIA's cloaked and ruthless methods and the intricate web of disinformation and espionage it relies upon. It focuses on the single-minded nature of those who become involved and, in the case of Wilson, it highlights the high price it takes on his life. Like Wilson, The Good Shepherd is meticulous, intricate and unhurried, but with so much to absorb and admire, it's good not to rush.

Kevin Murphy