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The Good Shepherd
2006 167 min United States of America R 18+
★6.6
Drama, Thriller, History
Director: Robert De Niro
Trailers
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EN
Description
Edward Wilson, the only witness to his father's suicide and member of the Skull and Bones Society while a student at Yale, is a morally upright young man who values honor and discretion, qualities that help him to be recruited for a career in the newly founded OSS. His dedication to his work does not come without a price though, leading him to sacrifice his ideals and eventually his family.
Budget:
$85M
US Gross:
$59.95M
Worldwide:
$100.27M
Starring
Matt Damon
Actor
Angelina Jolie
Actor
Robert De Niro
Actor
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival 2007
— Silver Bear – Outstanding Achievement
Berlin International Film Festival 2007
— Golden Bear
Academy Awards 2007
— Best Production Design
Key opinion
The Good Shepherd is a slow-burn, cerebral historical drama that prioritizes atmosphere and character study over traditional action. While many viewers praise its intellectual depth and realistic portrayal of the CIA, others find its excessive runtime and opaque narrative structure tedious or difficult to follow.
| Acting | Matt Damon anchors the film with a restrained, interior performance that effectively conveys the stoic and work-obsessed nature of a career intelligence officer. | |
| Originality | The film offers a serious, historically grounded look at the Cold War, successfully avoiding the tropes of typical action-oriented spy thrillers. | |
| Pacing | The three-hour runtime and deliberate, contemplative pacing divide audiences between those who appreciate its immersive atmosphere and those who find it exhausting or boring. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative structure and complex dialogue are viewed by some as brilliant and intellectually rewarding, while others find the plot opaque, disjointed, and difficult to piece together. | |
| Direction | Robert De Niro's direction is praised for creating a meticulous, noir-inspired period aesthetic, though some feel the result lacks the necessary energy to sustain engagement. | |
| Acting | Opinions on the supporting cast are divided; while some critics highlight the strength of the ensemble, others find specific performances, such as Angelina Jolie’s, to be underdeveloped or ill-fitting. |