Movie review: The Good Shepherd

This is going to be a pretty brief review.  Today, I saw the recent movie called The Good Shepherd in the movie theatre.   For those not in the know, Matt Damon plays a CIA bigwig involved in the Bay of Pigs invasion, and it's full of flashbacks to how the CIA got started, spy-Matt Damon's career from a Yale Bonesman, etc. 

My brother saw it shortly before I did, and here is his review (published without permission, since I never ask my brother permission for anything):

Oh, I am Matt Damon and I am SO SAD about how my machinations to dominate the world are ruining my personal life.  Oh poor poor me!  Feel sorry for me!  See how my wife and son no longer like me.  Don't you feel bad for me?

It is to be read in a falsetto voice.  Don't blame me.

So, let's just say that there is a grain of truth to my brother's review.  I don't think that spy-Damon felt sorry for himself as such, or it wasn't very clear.  Well, it wasn't clear that he felt anything at all, for the most part.  But as the audience, we were expected to sympathize with the plight of his family.  Well and good, but I still think that a better object of my sympathy would be his both explicit and implied victims, and, of course, those of his KGB counterpart.

It was still entertaining, and I don't regret paying for it over some other movie.  Long, but mostly worth the length.  I enjoyed the way they talk in code, except that it isn't exactly very subtle.

Comments

[AradhanaD]

Mandos, can you contextualize this movie review a little more. What were some of the stronger elements of the movie that you found?
What about the Bay of Pigs invasion - was there something about the way this movie that portrayed it from a 'pro-american' angle... what about gender/race/economics that struck out at you in this movie?

I can send you a temporary login to LMR if you would like to post the review up yourself. Let me know your email addy - i won't paste it on the site - I'll keep it hidden in my dashboard.

PS I quoted YOU in the ethnic food entry I wrote up... check it out! LOL