Friday January 5, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 01 |
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Thursday, Jul 24, 2008
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The Good Shephard may be long, but worthwhile - The best film about the inner workings of the White House thus far |
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| The Good Shephard may be long, but worthwhile - The best film about the inner workings of the White House thus far | ||
| by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid -
SGN A&E Writer The Good Shephard Directed by Robert De Niro Starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert DeNiro, Alec Baldwin, William Hurt, Joe Pesci Now playing The complaint that I heard most after the screening of The Good Shephard, the film about the beginnings of the infamous CIA, was that the film was 'too long', or that it was 'boring'. Well, I'm here to say that even though Shephard does clock in at a lengthy 3 hours, it's definitely not boring. Honestly, would you believe a film about the Central Intelligence Agency that was short? I wouldn't. Bouncing back and forth between his early days as a young collegiate, and his later days as the most powerful man in the world (who comes to lead one of the most secret organizations in our country), the story follows the life of Edward Wilson. He was the man who founded the OSS, which later became the CIA. Played by Matt Damon, Wilson comes off as a man who from his youth is interested in being part of the 'inner circle', which in the first case, happens to be the 'Skull and Bones Club' of Yale (those folks who also spawned our current prez, and several other leaders of the free world). Boyishly handsome, he draws the attention of a lecherous professor, who he later brings down, after he has become a man in a gray coat, a man who, though anonymous looking, wields a great deal of power over his circle, friends and foes alike. Unfortunately, as effective as he is as a master spy and leader of other spies, he is chilly and unknowable to his wife and child (Angelina Jolie in her best role yet), and even to his closer friends. His choice to be part of a covert organization also makes him choose a life where he is often passively watching, giving very little of himself, even as he is passionately making love to his wife and later, his mistress. As with any story like this, one wonders how much is truth and how much is speculation, but honestly, from the little that has been leaked out recently about the agency's more questionable practices in war time, I'd tend to believe this telling. And one cannot miss the subtle homoeroticism between all of these men of power, who wall out the world that includes women, except to have them as servants and baby makers. Chilling, to be sure, and to me, it made for interesting watching. Just be sure to have at least one cup of caffeine before you see it, so you'll stay awake. |
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