This marks the first time De Niro has been behind the camera since his directorial debut, A Bronx Tale, in 1993. This is a much wider story, the formation of the CIA as seen through the prism of career-man Edward Wilson. Not only is The Good Shepard an outward critique of American espionage, it is an inward examination of loyalty and betrayal at every level: country, kin, self. Wilson evolves with an ice-cold intensity from dedicated student to divisional head of the agency, and a more solemn, unlikeable man is difficult to imagine. Duty is paramount; the singular reason an unwanted son begat a loveless marriage. And therein his Achilles, exploited as the world moves from one war to another, culminating in Cuba, 1961.

Clearly this isn’t a typical spy thriller and 007 is busy mixing martinis elsewhere. It harkens to a previous era, more 40’s than 60’s, when serious matters were conducted by serious men, dressed in serious grey. Consequently, the film threatens to tip from stoic to tedious at every turn, yet Damon’s steely performance and De Niro’s strong tiller-arm keep events on track. Just. Eric Roth (screenwriter for Munich) gives us much to consider although his points are often lost in the slow-burn intensity of De Niro’s story-telling. Nonetheless The Good Shepard is beautifully crafted and remains compelling throughout. Considering its length (said to have been cut from over 190 to a more concise 167 minutes), that’s quite an achievement for a meditation on the cynicism of national interest. While it doesn’t always match De Niro’s ambitions, any problems are trivialised by his considerable achievements.

// COLIN FRASER