By Ryan Parsons | Images property of Universal Pictures.
The Good Shepherd
About a month back a little bird told us that The
Good Shepherd was a horrific mess. Well, as it turns out, that report may have been exaggerated. It is not exactly a mess, but with almost a three-hour running time, the film does have more than enough opportunity to become boring.
Early Reviews: The Good Shepherd
The first official reviews have appeared online for The Good Shepherd and, though both admit that the story and topic is fascinating, the film's length causes moments of extreme boredom.
THR
Who knew Robert De Niro has such a keen fascination for foreign policy and espionage? "The Good Shepherd," his first directorial effort since his debut feature, "A Bronx Tale" (1993), is a thoroughly knowledgeable, carefully researched account of the founding and development of the CIA from World War II through the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961. While a bit unwieldy at nearly three hours and at times slow going, the film is absolutely fascinating for anyone who shares De Niro's passions.
The sum of the parts might not add up to a great movie, but "Good Shepherd" is a pretty good one. Some scenes hit you with the impact of a bullet. And it probably took an actor of De Niro's caliber to get his stars to tone down their onscreen personas to play genuine roles.
Variety
The birth of the CIA and the life journey of one of its founding operatives is a fascinating subject, one that is done only lukewarm justice in "The Good Shepherd." Robert De Niro's second film as a director adopts a methodical approach and deliberate pace in attempting to grasp an almost forbiddingly intricate subject, with a result that is not boring, exactly, but undeniably tedious. Cast and material's intrinsic interest will provide a sufficient media profile for a decent B.O. launch, but lack of excitement and suspense will translate into a quick commercial fade.
Check out both full reviews for The Good Shepherd by clicking on the bold links above.
The Good Shepherd opens to theatres on December
22nd.
The Good Shepherd
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