Falling Behind...

I can't believe I'm going to use this as an excuse, but returning to TAFE after my two week break has stressed me out, thus I haven't written anything at all simply because I feel so bummed out and drained. Now that I'm back and settling in, I thought it was time to scrape all the accumulating moss off of the previously stationary but now increasingly kinetic rolling stone, and dive back into the fray to see what Hollywood is keeping up its endless supply of sleeves.
Robert de Niro is much like the rolling stone I just mentioned in my overbaked metaphor, or analogy or whatever, if not only for the fact he has had his down and up moments. The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is one title that comes to mind, unfortunately, and it does not fit into the latter category. *pauses for literally 10 minutes in a dazed disbelief that movie was ever made, and that de Niro actually played a major role*. Hide and Seek is another, although I've always considered it emo Dakota Fanning's movie, and her's alone. (Between you and me, she can have it. Yeesh.)

de Niro's back. DE NIRO'S BACK!!! He's back people, and the movie is The Good Shepherd. And I tell you what, he better make it worth-fucking-while, because I haven't been a huge fan of his just to see him shine in The Untouchables and Goodfellas and Taxi Driver, then make like his jawals and sink with into fluff. Shark Tale, Meet the Fockers. And oh my god, anyone remember Showtime? With Eddie Murphy in ANOTHER racially-juxtaposed cop buddy movie. Cuhrist!!I guess what I'm saying is, de Niro is really testing my loyalty to him. If he can't find good scripts, he isn’t trying nearly hard enough.

The Good Shepherd is directed by Robert de Niro himself, and he does star in it, although it's more of a Matt Damon/Angelina Jolie movie. Damon is a geeky, trenchcoat grappling John Citizen who ends up being the main influence in establishing the CIA and their policies. Jolie is the stay at home wife that is probably a boozer that has screaming matches with Damon because he’s so closed in and secretive as a result of his shady work.If it all seems so familiar to you, that’s exactly the vibe I got too. The same old plot devices look like they are being used to justify and condemn the ways of the CIA, and also the messages of the film. The broken marriage? Come on. The ultimate sacrifice? Please. The tug-of-war between morality and loyalty? Been there, done that! The trailer does this film no favours in making this look like just another movie where some guy joins ‘them’, wants to get out but ‘they’ won’t let him.


However, I don’t want to pass that judgment so early. After all, it is just a trailer, and trailers have been known to be spectacularly inaccurate in capturing a film’s integrity. And that goes for all of the trailers I’ve reviewed. But this one especially.
The Good Shepherd is written by Eric Roth, one of my favourite screenwriters as of late, and after delivering his massive sucker-punch that was Munich (and I mean that in a hugely positive way) and being nominated for Academy Awards for his efforts, I’m almost convinced that there is an unseen vein of gold imbedded in the bland, rocky surface that is my first impressions of this movie.
Something is confusing me greatly, though, and it is regarding a little tidbit I stumbled upon whilst doing brief research on the movie. The budget for The Good Shepherd is $110 million, and an executive that passed on making the film was quoted as saying “After reading the script, there was no possible way that this could be filmed for any less than $110 million.” Now, what the fuck at that!?This is such an unextraordinary, average-in-appearance political period drama.
What the FUCK at that!? 110 million dollars!?!?!?!

Indeed, like the CIA itself, this project is absolutely shrouded in secrecy. I just wonder if this secrecy will lead to intrigue or simple disinterest. Because I can certainly say I’m missing a very large piece of the puzzle. The fact of the matter is, the movie that I think this is does not cost $110 million to make. Which means this is a different film altogether to what I’m expecting. Like I said, I don’t know whether to be excited by that fact, or whether to forget about it until it appears on cable. I like to think I have a little faith where it’s needed though. I hope it’s a lot more than it gives itself credit for.

The Good Shepherd - Universal Pictures
Anticipation Level: Medium
Look out for: Jolie has a really venomous and thunderous blowup that makes me all happy inside.
US Release date: 22nd December, 2006.
Trailer Source