December 29, 2006

Thoughts on The Good Shepard

Just saw The Good Shepard, Robert De Niro's directoral debut. All the parts of the film are good, if not excellent, but somehow it doesn't really come together. So, it's a good film but not great.

First off it goes against expectation, as one has the impression that it will be more of an action film than it is. If you're looking for a punch 'em up, blow 'em up flick, you should just go see Casino Royale again.

Matt Damon gets recruited into US army intelligence and then what develops into the CIA. Nasty things happen, but all in a covert sort of way, as befits CIA activity.

Much of what the movie portrays is the high personal cost Damon's character pays for his occupation. Estranged from a woman he married but wasn't in love with, as well as their son, unable to trust anyone, as that's the only good, or true piece of advice that his 'superiors' offer him: "trust no one."

In a nice cameo role, Joe Pesci as an old mafia boss tells Damon's character that he, as an Italian has family and the church, the Irish have their homeland, the Jews tradition, even the blacks their music, what has Damon - an American WASP - got?

Damon's response is "the United States. The rest of you are just visiting."

It's a good question, and I don't know if Damon's response is consistent with the rest of the film as it seems the USA is happy to throw him over if circumstances warrent.

But I do know I don't have a good answer for that question.

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