Clocking in at almost 3 hours, The Good Shepherd isn’t your typical spy thriller and it definitely isn’t for everyone. But if you prefer a complications and cover-ups over car chases and elaborate explosions – you might enjoy The Good Shepherd.

The Good Shepherd is told through the eyes of Edward Wilson (Matt Damon). While the movie does use real events as its backdrop, its central character is fictional. We open during The Bay of Pigs fiasco after the CIA-backed attempt to oust Castro has failed miserably. There is a leak in the agency and its Edward’s job to find out who is supplying information to the Russians. In this ‘present’ day, we go on the search for the mole. All the while, we also see through a series of flashbacks how Edward got to be the agent and the man he is today. We see him at Yale; we see him get initiated into the exclusive Skull and Bones society; we see him enter into a loveless marriage; we see his first forays into the world of espionage.

There is fodder for intrigue all around: the rise of the Cold War, the KGB, the CIA’s relationship with the mob, uncovering the mole with the agency and the familial strife between Edward and his wife (Angelina Jolie) and his relationship with his son, Ed Jr. (Eddie Redmayne). This is a movie that commands your complete attention because every little detail becomes significant and for every cross there is a double cross right behind it.

The principal actors are game and all are very good. John Turturro was especially good and I found myself wanting to see more than just one scene with Joe Pesci (who played a mob boss). Damon has the difficult tasks of playing a man who is enigmatic and difficult to know. As a spy, Edward keeps everyone and everything at a distance. As an audience member that poses a unique challenge because we really want to know the protagonist.

I commend Robert DeNiro who directed The Good Shepherd for creating an intelligent film. If you follow along, you’ll find the plot engrossing but keep in mind, there is nothing fast-paced about it. DeNiro slowly and deliberately lays out his story and something as insignificant as a dollar bill takes on extreme importance.

I’m one of those people who enjoy the little clues and the ability to put together an elaborate puzzle, so I liked The Good Shepherd. Several people in my audience however seemed to find the whole thing a bit tedious and I could see why they would.

This is the kind of movie that keeps you guessing. Even as you walk out of the theater, you’ll still be thinking about it.