ESL Lalondo at the Movies: The Good Shepherd Kevin Lalonde, OP Arts & Entertainment Editor I’m sure I’m not the first person to notice that in recent years, the intellectual quality of most mainstream, big budget American films has ranged from mediocre to mildly mentally challenged at best. From the outset of The Good Shepherd, however, it wouldn’t surprise me if most viewers feel like fourth grade students at a lecture of quantum physics. Directed by Robert De Niro, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, The Good Shepherd brazenly presents a mildly fictionalized account of the “secret origins of the Central Intelligence Agency” through the dynamic life of Edward Bell Wilson, who is loosely based on CIA founder James Jesus Angleton, played by an often sheepish but usually stoic and detached Matt Damon. The backdrop of the story is Wilson’s attempt to com- prehend the botched invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs, spiraling around a photo and sound recording he receives shortly after the invasion. As the films tells Wilson’s story. from his time at Yale, to his early espionage work for the US government during World War II, straight on to his post-war management of the newly-created CIA counterintelligence bureau, we’re often brought back to that one photo that Wilson hopes holds some clue as to how Castro’s military knew where to expect the US invasion. Wilson’s professional life becomes increasingly interwov- en with his personal life, and throughout the film we see his relationship with his estranged wife Margaret Ann Russell, 1 0 THE OTHER PRESS JANUARY 15 2007 played by Angelina Jolie, taking on the burden of extreme stress, adding a near romantic aspect to the story. Also key is Wilson’s harsh relationship with his son, which takes on a key role as the film nears the 90-minute mark. Oh yeah, did I mention that the movie runs at over two and a half hours long? Despite the dull pain in my legs from sitting so long, the clever (and sometimes impossible to com- prehend) dialogue and plot turns kept this espionage biopic surprisingly interesting. Definitely slow moving in parts, the film is buttressed by Damon’s fine acting, complimented by superb performances by Jolie, as well as Alec Baldwin, Eddie Redmayne, Billy Crudup, William Allen, and even a few rela- tively short but important appearances by De Niro himself as General Bill Sullivan Once in a while it’s good to feel like you’re kind of dumb, especially if it means watching an excellent film in the process. Wonderfully in-depth writing and excellent acting keep The Good Shepherd from boring the pants off its audi- ence — though I sure could have used a butt massage after- wards.