The Good Shepherd - ACE Train Movie Review

In 1939, Edward Wilson is a young man with a bright future ahead of him - he's a top student at Yale and the protege of one of the school's leading English professors, Dr. Fredericks. But Wilson's life changes dramatically when he's invited to join Yale's powerful secret society, Skull and Bones. Through his Skull and Bones connections, Wilson meets Sam Murach, an mysterious FBI agent who asks Wilson to investigate charges that Fredericks is a Nazi sympathizer working with the German government. Later, Wilson is invited to join the Office of Strategic Services, a military intelligence organization. Through World War II, Wilson serves with the OSS, and learns he can trust no one in the game of international espionage, which helps make him little more than a stranger to his wife, his son, and his few friends. As the OSS evolves into the Central Intelligence Agency after the war, Wilson becomes party to America's darkest and most dangerous secrets, and in the wake of the futile Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Wilson is forced to make a terrible choice between the security of his nation and the safety of his family.

This was a very long and complex movie. The fact that there were many characters to follow and the current year switched back and forth several times over the course of the film, you really need to pay attention or you'll get lost and won't understand who is who and why certain events that transpired were important. On top of that, Matt Damon's character is so soft spoken (when he speaks at all) that it requires that much more concentration to hear what he's saying and catch all his non-verbal cues. In other words, it's a tiring film to watch, but it's also very captivating and interesting. It's exactly the type of film I can watch again since I'm sure I missed a lot of the subtle nuances the first time around. Heck, I probably need to watch it 2 more times to really catch everything. The fact that it's based on true events and real people makes it even more fascinating and worth a second look. Recommended if you have a solid 3 hour block that you can concentrate on the film - otherwise you'll be lost.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.