DVD Review: "The Good Shepherd" (2007)

Bobby DeNiro directs and appears in this cloak-and-dagger drama set just after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961. Told in a series of flashbacks, it outlines the life of an intelligence officer played by Matt Damon who was first brought into the business during World War II and found himself increasingly drawn into the web of the shadows of the early Cold War amid duplicity, betrayal and a shattered family life.

At 2 hours and 45 minutes, "The Good Shepherd" is lengthy, but I didn't find that to be a drawback. The script moves along nicely and with such a stellar cast, including not only Damon and DeNiro but Jolie, Baldwin, Pesci, Hurt, Hutton and Crudup, you know you can't go wrong. Critical acclaim was lukewarm, but I quite liked it.

It's very, very good if you are interested in this kind of thing, as I am, and definitely worth a look even if you're not.

Overall rating: 8.5/10