Pelfy’s Journey Of Love

Title: The Good Shepherd
Director: Robert De Niro
Duration: 2 hrs 55 minutes
Genre: Romance / Thriller
Release date: 14 June 2007
Recommendations: Nil
Pelfy watched this at: Home

I remember seeing the preview of ‘The Good Shepherd’ in cinema a few months ago. I am not sure if I missed this movie or in the end it wasn’t screened in Malaysia but the fact that I would like to watch it remains unchanged since I heard of this movie.

In fact, it was neither Matt Damon nor Angelina Jolie whom made me want to watch ‘The Good Shepherd’ so badly. It was this sentence: “I don’t know what you do. I stay with a ghost!” which sort of make me curious of what had happened.

I have to remind you that this is indeed an extremely slow film and it helps to know that in advance. It is also one you have to pay attention of what is going on closely as most of the time, the time periods shift back and forth from 1961 to the early 1940s.

Directed by Robert De Niro, ‘The Good Shepherd’ is all about an interesting question which is posed to Edward Wilson (Matt Damon). He plays well as a loyal CIA man; a man who loves his son and also one whose priority is country-first. The dilemma occurs at the end when he must choose between what’s best for his son or his country.

Angelina Jolie, on the other hand, plays Clover Margaret Russel, the daughter of a powerful US senator and she becomes Wilson’s wife after he discovers that she is pregnant. Even though she learns that Wilson has an affair with other woman, she still loves him for who he is.

I would say that ‘The Good Shepherd’ is an interesting story that takes a few sides to the left more than the right, but it is not really a movie filled with political agenda; instead it points out what it takes to be a successful spy as this unemotional detachment can be rough on some people and their families.

Other cast includes Billy Crudup, Alec Baldwin, William Hurt, Timothy Hutton and many others.

All in all, I doubt this movie will either put you to bed or interest you.