The Good Shepperd: Good Try

ALMOST: Wow, this movie doesn't work. I was disappointed in the result, as I eagerly anticipated a dramatic suspenseful film filled with twists and turns along the path to the CIA. What I got was a jumbled time line of scenes without any guide as to how to connect the dots. The scenes were wonderful. Great acting from Damon, DeNiro, Jolie, Hurt, etc (all-star cast). Great dialogue and powerful emotion within each frame. Unfortunately, they don't work as a whole. The dateline pops up at the beginning of every scene, making it confusing to keep up and keep a hold on when is when and what happened when. I was lost on who was who, and who worked for who. I also wasn't convinced by Damon's Edward Wilson to be a good guy. And the movie is way too long. After watching, I cannot decide if it could have worked as a chronological story or as simply one flashback, but whichever, they didn't achieve it this way. Too many people with too many stories and too many sides makes it one big flop in my opinion. If you're willing to watch this nearly 3-hour ride, you might eventually put together what happened, but until then, you and I both will remain in the dark on the birth of the CIA.