Robert De Niro And Matt Damon Teamed Up For This Slow Burn '60s-Set Spy Thriller
by Debopriyaa Dutta · /FilmRobert De Niro is one of those actors who belongs in a league of their own. The "Taxi Driver" star has amassed innumerable accolades over the course of a long and illustrious acting career, and has dabbled in directorial efforts as well. To that end, De Niro's 1993 directorial debut, "A Bronx Tale," was a promising start. His second directorial effort came in 2006, which is when De Niro helmed "The Good Shepherd" after turning down a chance to reunite with Martin Scorsese on "The Departed."
De Niro's CIA-focused spy thriller is a star-studded spectacle. In addition to De Niro himself, it stars the likes of Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Joe Pesci, and John Turturro, among others. Although the film opened to mixed critical reviews, "The Good Shepherd" has a lot going for it in terms of story beats and a compelling central performance. Damon, who had already proven his talent with the "Ocean's Trilogy" and the "Bourne" franchise at the time, brings striking emotional depth to the role of Edward Wilson, a fictional counterintelligence officer. Whenever the generally competent script by Eric Roth ("Forrest Gump," "The Insider") falters, Damon fills in the gaps with subtle, unstated interiority.
While Damon's performance is a good enough reason to watch (or revisit) De Niro's film, does it have anything more to offer? After all, the early 2000s were saturated with memorable spy thrillers. Also, heavy hitters like "Mission: Impossible III" and "Casino Royale" came out the same year, making it all the more difficult for a self-serious movie like "The Good Shepherd" to stand out. That said, De Niro's picture is intelligent and engrossing in parts, and it makes a sincere attempt to tell an original story about hunting down a mole within the CIA. Let's delve deeper into it.
Robert De Niro's The Good Shepherd makes its original premise work
Spoilers for "The Good Shepherd" ahead.
The film opens with 1961's Bay of Pigs invasion, the failed U.S. military invasion of Cuba. CIA officer Edward (Matt Damon) is warned about a mole within the department, and he finds cryptic evidence in his apartment. In a flashback to 1939, Edward exposes a Nazi sympathizer named Fredericks (Michael Gambon) and deals with the announcement of World War II. "The Good Shepherd" goes on to map the nuances of Edward's difficult youth and the path that led him to the dire present. Characters played by Alec Baldwin and Keir Dullea flit in and out of this slow-burn thriller, compelling us to direct all our attention to Damon's Edward and Robert De Niro's General Bill Sullivan (who handpicks Edward to lead the counterintelligence unit).
Of course, a spy movie that is too didactic for its own good can become a slog for some audiences. Although "The Good Shepherd" keeps things interesting enough, the subject matter might be a bit too glum for those who are used to flashier interpretations of the genre. Although De Niro brings a distinct visual identity to the film, he rarely indulges in spectacle that leads to stylized shoot-outs or viscerally tense sequences. Instead, we are supposed to immerse ourselves in Edward's convoluted profession, which constantly demands a merger between the personal and the political. While Edward deals with the pressure of identifying the mole, his already lackluster existence becomes increasingly miserable.
All in all, "The Good Shepherd" makes for an intriguing viewing experience for those who appreciate meandering storylines about complicated conspiracies and the terrifying mundanity of bureaucracy. This is one of the better-directed De Niro films, so it's worth giving a fair shot.