Starring -  Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, William Hurt, Alec Baldwin & Robert De Niro.
Running Time - 156 minutes
Rated - 15

I think it says a great deal about this film, that I’m still thinking about it a week after I first saw it. First of all if you’re not the biggest fan of Matt Damon then this film probably isn’t for you. Damon is rarely missing from a scene, however his performance is exceptional and well supported  by an all star cast, Jolie in particular.

Although it is a fictional film, The Good Shepherd is loosely based on real events; it is advertised as telling the untold story of the birth of counter-intelligence in the Central Intelligence Agency. Now in parts of this film I did find myself lost as it moves around from one period of time to another quite quickly. Nonetheless, despite its length, I was still strangely engrossed in this epic movie and its well shot scenes couldn’t fail to captivate you.

One problem with this movie though is that due to its heavy involvement with Edward Wilson (Damon), it does lead to some of the other characters being overlooked. You hear characters mentioned in the film and struggle to remind yourself who they are due to their fleeting appearance. Another disappointment is the expectancy that I was about to witness another De Niro master performance. However his second attempt at directing was solely that, as he’s featured in about three scenes altogether!

Best Bit: The rumbling of a German spy and the comeuppance she quite rightly receives.

Rating: 3 out of 5, A masterful movie, but also one that demands your full attention!!!