Brilliant and touching

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Blistering performances.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Disappointing. What else can you say about a film that is much less than the sum of its parts? Second-time director Robert DeNiro does a credible job with this story about the CIA and the inner rot and sickness that must result from an organization based upon secrecy and lies. But the story itself lacks drama as told.Sporting one of the greatest casts ever assembled, "The Good Shepherd" follows predictable plot lines and regurgitates the commonly accepted history of an organization that seeks to make laws, not follow them. How can you lower your expectations when a film features Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, Robert De Niro, William Hurt, Timothy Hutton, Gabriel Macht, Lee Pace, Joe Pesci, Eddie Redmayne, John Turturro and others?Damon's character, Edward Wilson, is at the center of every scene. He is played as a solitary, emotionally-detached, emotionless drone who feels more like a victim than a perpetrator. The plot is disjointed. And, perhaps more importantly, it lacks a point of view. Not that we need to be told what to think, but a film that lacks a consistent or comprehensive viewpoint is like a ship without a rudder: it will travel and it will arrive at a (random) destination, but the journey will reveal little except that winds blow.Edward Wilson certainly is a character buffeted by the winds, but they are mostly winds of unknown origin and hidden intent. It's a story that rings true, but it is uncompelling.

Just a quick observation (correction) on the synopsis for The Good Shepherd. In the past I could have posted this in our discussion forum that was taken away from us by the management. I still miss it. The author of the synopsis repeatedly used the term "videotape" in describing the recording that Edward Wilson finds in an envelope as opposed to the "audiotape" that was actually delivered. "Videotapes" in a home consumer format did not exist back in 1961. Prerecorded two-inch size videotape had to be played on an industrial sized Ampex VRX-1000 Mark IV four-head video playback system with additional stationary heads for the sound track. There is even a scene of Edward Wilson playing the "audiotape" on a reel-to-reel player. That's my 2 cents.

Everything is good in this movie expect the fact that the pace is damn slow...many things happen but still feels boring Actually if u want to c the plot then go for it but if u r habituated of sleeping Iduring movies ..i assure u,u will sleep with in 30 mins acting is better as its matt damon.but not a film what u wish it should be

I was a very late getting around to watch to this. I had heard all the rave reviews and thought it was going to be an epic. I decided to see it on VOD over the holiday. Boy, I wish I hadn't. This was a huge disappointment. It was an over-long boring watch. Yes it was stylish, yes it had a great impressive cast, yes, it had great acting, yes it was beautifully filmed and yes it had a huge budget, but it was over-inflated and self indulgent. The characters were one-dimensional and lifeless. The plot was dense and over-complicated. It was difficult to watch, like wading through treacle. Never once did it draw me in. I was not gripped by any part of the plot and I hardly managed to get through it. Matt Damon is a great actor, but his character remains blank and dull and too young to be convincing in this. I just was left feeling blank myself.