Released on DVD this week. 2 hr, 40 min.
Something has happened to Robert De Niro. Shortly after Wag the Dog wrapped, someone must have taken control of his body like Being John Malkovich and he's been a shell of his former self since. The Good Shepherd is about the origins of the CIA, told in flashback, but centered around the Bay of Pigs disaster. In his second directorial effort, De Niro shows a similar disdain for pacing as he did with A Bronx Tale. Important plot points are barely audible and poorly filmed making a second viewing necessary if you want to understand the jumbled plot. Even worse, in his supporting role as a diabetic general, he mugs for the camera like he's in the third Focker movie.
De Niro still has enough in the bank to attract an amazing cast. Timothy Hutton, Alec Baldwin, William Hurt, Billy Crudup, Keir Dullea!, Angelina Jolie, John Turturro, and Joe Pesci all have supporting roles. Surprisingly, Alec Baldwin and William Hurt struggle to breathe life into their characters. Only John Turturro as a vindictive, violent CIA operative and Joe Pesci as a mob boss have memorable moments. Turturro's torturing of a Russian agent is intense. Pesci is on screen less than a minute, but is nearly mesmerizing. It's his first appearance in a movie in 8 years and he's been missed.
As the lead, Matt Damon does his best to play a soulless CIA agent with no sense of humor. He's in a loveless marriage with a wasted Jolie and appears to find nothing in life bothersome or exciting. Most of the movie is just like his character. There's probably a pretty good 2 hour movie in here somewhere and the themes of family vs. country, honor vs. duty and loyalty vs. betrayal are all interesting. But as it stands, it's good in sections, but overall disappointing. C+
Medical mistake: De Niro complains of pain in his feet, but with diabetic neuropathy, you would lose sensation.
3 comments:
I give this a solid B. As you say, the pacing is rough, but I liked the story and performances enough. Pesci was mesmerizing. That was my favorite scene by a mile.
For me a B-. There are a few really good scenes, but wasting/miscasting this level of talent is increasingly distracting as the movie continues. Angelina Jolie is the best example. Her vivaciousness in the seduction scene (which then turns to some wierd, "Do you love me" moment) is not seen again, but the audience isn't blind to the fact that she's way too much woman to be ignored or put up with it if she was.
What pushed it from B- to C+ to me was Damon's character. There should have been a scene where he shows his intelligence. He's too passive to care about and too quiet to root for. His son really annoyed me too so I ended up not caring about anything at the end.
Post a Comment