De Niro's "The Good Shepard"
Released four weeks ago but not seen by Apt404 staff until this Wednesday evening (things to do, places to be), we'd like to say that along with "The Departed", "Borat", and our personal crush, "Marie Antoinette", "The Good Shepard" stands with the best releases of 2006, at least of what we've seen.
=====================================
Eric Roth's deep, rich, complex and detailed yet heartfelt and ultimately gut wrenching script had better get at least a nomination, if not a win, or there's going to be some 'splaining to do around LA come late February. It's that good. Not that it's surprising for Roth to deliver big with his track record, but he deserves serious consideration for a statue.
Director De Niro manages 150 minutes of tension and drama as smoothly as any director possibly could, working with a cast so deep that the great John Turturro appears on page 2 of the imdb.com "cast and crew" printout. The actors are given three great gifts by De Niro and Roth: (1) wonderful words to say (2) wonderful things to do and (3) so much silence it was deafening in the theatre.
With some films we can tell that our time would be better spent elsewhere in, say, ninety seconds. Last night we were hooked by the opening scene and its lack of...well, anything going on. Just Matt Damon, in his career defining role as super spy Edward Wilson retrieving his morning paper then getting on a bus to go to work in downtown D.C.. We trusted De Niro and Damon to take us somewhere, and were not disappointed.
=====================================
No spoilers here. This is a movie that you should see in a vast, dimly lit theatre with sticky floors, drinking in the odor of stale popcorn and flat soda.
"The Good Shepard" is moviemaking on a grand scale not because of bombs going off or endless freeway chases, but because the actors facial expressions and body language say so very much, because of words and lines said so softly that our heads tilted instinctively towards the front of the theatre, and because of, to take just one of many possibles, Michael Gimbon's riveting, shattering portrayal of a spy living in a cold, dead world he knows not to trust but can't escape from.
To single out only one or two actors would be to slight others, as there are nearly two dozen important speaking roles, and all save Wilson's wife are handled perfectly.
The sole problem we have with this great film is Angelina Jolie's dour, secretive, and ultimately incomprehensible Mrs. Wilson. What is her charactor doing and why is she so damn sullen? Was it Jolie's choice, or was she doing this intentionally? Sorry, but she took some of the fun out of the film. Was Jolie's heavyhandedness the actor's choice, or were there cuts made in editing that would have helped explain her better? The wife's role was written mainly as support to the main drivers of the plot, but the lack of depth in the part seemed to detract a bit.
=====================================
As we said, no plot details. Go see it.
But we'd be wrong not to mention some of the great work done by....
...Matt Damon, as mentioned. Not a missed step. Wonderful. Painful. Perfectly done.
...Gambon. A simply brilliant job, though Roth's script was tailor made for that voice, face, and presence.
...William Hurt. If Hurt got a nomination for his nice but slight role in "History of Violence", what will he get for this one? A Best Actor nom? Best Picture?
...Young Eddie Redmayne, who reminded us a bit of Edward Norton's breakthrough in "Primal Fear." Minus the crazy part, pretty much. ...Next?
...THANK GOD for Joe Pesci. We miss that fucking guy so bad. He had one scene and filled the screen. Whatever and whenever you're working on, we're there. The man is a legend because you can't take your eyes off him. Another reason to nominate De Niro is getting Pesci back.
...Other wonderful work is done by (1) Alec Baldwin, though we again apologize for nearly giggling at half his lines. He, just as other gifted comedians (who always make great actors) will be forever hamstrung by his brilliant wit. You can't host SNL 47 times and not expect chuckles from jokers like we have here in the 'Pent. Kept thinking he was going to offer Wilson a set of steak knives. The man is one of the great American actors, and will be for as long as he wants. (2) Billy Crudup. Creepy, slimy, fey, and so solid. (3) Oleg Stefan. Pitch perfect. When can we see him again? (5) John Turturro, one of the great physical actors, if you know what we mean. You can feel his insides churning every moment he's onscreen. A great, great job. (6) Basically everyone we didn't mention yet save for some C+ digital effects, though that was probably budget more than craft.
and last but certainly..blah blah blah...
Will Robert De Niro win Best Director on his second gig?
And if so, will Scorcese have him "taken care of?"
Probably not and we sure hope not. They have work to do together, still.
======================================
But it rarely gets better than "The Good Shepard." Thank God "Museum" was sold out.
=====================================
Eric Roth's deep, rich, complex and detailed yet heartfelt and ultimately gut wrenching script had better get at least a nomination, if not a win, or there's going to be some 'splaining to do around LA come late February. It's that good. Not that it's surprising for Roth to deliver big with his track record, but he deserves serious consideration for a statue.
Director De Niro manages 150 minutes of tension and drama as smoothly as any director possibly could, working with a cast so deep that the great John Turturro appears on page 2 of the imdb.com "cast and crew" printout. The actors are given three great gifts by De Niro and Roth: (1) wonderful words to say (2) wonderful things to do and (3) so much silence it was deafening in the theatre.
With some films we can tell that our time would be better spent elsewhere in, say, ninety seconds. Last night we were hooked by the opening scene and its lack of...well, anything going on. Just Matt Damon, in his career defining role as super spy Edward Wilson retrieving his morning paper then getting on a bus to go to work in downtown D.C.. We trusted De Niro and Damon to take us somewhere, and were not disappointed.
=====================================
No spoilers here. This is a movie that you should see in a vast, dimly lit theatre with sticky floors, drinking in the odor of stale popcorn and flat soda.
"The Good Shepard" is moviemaking on a grand scale not because of bombs going off or endless freeway chases, but because the actors facial expressions and body language say so very much, because of words and lines said so softly that our heads tilted instinctively towards the front of the theatre, and because of, to take just one of many possibles, Michael Gimbon's riveting, shattering portrayal of a spy living in a cold, dead world he knows not to trust but can't escape from.
To single out only one or two actors would be to slight others, as there are nearly two dozen important speaking roles, and all save Wilson's wife are handled perfectly.
The sole problem we have with this great film is Angelina Jolie's dour, secretive, and ultimately incomprehensible Mrs. Wilson. What is her charactor doing and why is she so damn sullen? Was it Jolie's choice, or was she doing this intentionally? Sorry, but she took some of the fun out of the film. Was Jolie's heavyhandedness the actor's choice, or were there cuts made in editing that would have helped explain her better? The wife's role was written mainly as support to the main drivers of the plot, but the lack of depth in the part seemed to detract a bit.
=====================================
As we said, no plot details. Go see it.
But we'd be wrong not to mention some of the great work done by....
...Matt Damon, as mentioned. Not a missed step. Wonderful. Painful. Perfectly done.
...Gambon. A simply brilliant job, though Roth's script was tailor made for that voice, face, and presence.
...William Hurt. If Hurt got a nomination for his nice but slight role in "History of Violence", what will he get for this one? A Best Actor nom? Best Picture?
...Young Eddie Redmayne, who reminded us a bit of Edward Norton's breakthrough in "Primal Fear." Minus the crazy part, pretty much. ...Next?
...THANK GOD for Joe Pesci. We miss that fucking guy so bad. He had one scene and filled the screen. Whatever and whenever you're working on, we're there. The man is a legend because you can't take your eyes off him. Another reason to nominate De Niro is getting Pesci back.
...Other wonderful work is done by (1) Alec Baldwin, though we again apologize for nearly giggling at half his lines. He, just as other gifted comedians (who always make great actors) will be forever hamstrung by his brilliant wit. You can't host SNL 47 times and not expect chuckles from jokers like we have here in the 'Pent. Kept thinking he was going to offer Wilson a set of steak knives. The man is one of the great American actors, and will be for as long as he wants. (2) Billy Crudup. Creepy, slimy, fey, and so solid. (3) Oleg Stefan. Pitch perfect. When can we see him again? (5) John Turturro, one of the great physical actors, if you know what we mean. You can feel his insides churning every moment he's onscreen. A great, great job. (6) Basically everyone we didn't mention yet save for some C+ digital effects, though that was probably budget more than craft.
and last but certainly..blah blah blah...
Will Robert De Niro win Best Director on his second gig?
And if so, will Scorcese have him "taken care of?"
Probably not and we sure hope not. They have work to do together, still.
======================================
But it rarely gets better than "The Good Shepard." Thank God "Museum" was sold out.
posted by joe sweeney at 1:49 AM
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