Review of The Good Shepherd (2006) by Trevor R — 15 Feb 2010

Robert De Niro's directing debut arrives in a not dissimilar fashion to the majority of his roles-testosterone-ridden yet surprisingly sensitive and intelligent. On the other hand, 'The Good Shepherd' is sadly lacking in the uber-manly department of action sequences that would inject the much-needed pace into a film that becomes stale before it rises.

Beginning in 1939 at Yale University, Edward Wilson joins the Skull and Bones club that grooms the future leaders of the USA. Swiftly it is established that Wilson is a man of his word, moral and utterly ruthless. His personal life takes various nosedives as his career soars. At least, that's my take on an overlong storyline.

De Niro manages to secure the services of a stellar cast, with Matt Damon in the lead role and Angeline Jolie as his wife leading the likes of De Niro himself, Alec Baldwin, Michael Gambon and William Hurt. There's not a poor performance in sight, however they're left to fend for themselves on the meager rations of a script that seems to ignore character development (Damon's Wilson was born with a side parting, thick glasses, grey suit and briefcase) in favour of plot complexity. In fairness, fatherhood and marriage are key themes discussed in 'The Good Shepherd', however they fail too much like that; something the wise men without personalities sit around and discuss.

For those more inclined towards encyclopedic and layered plots or more accustomed to thrillers such as 'The Hunt for Red October', 'Syrianna' and 'Michael Clayton', this is a film that will certainly strike a chord. For those for whom 'thriller' has an entirely different connotation, it won't. Nevertheless, an intriguing and quietly promising start to De Niro's directing career.