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As someone who studied history in college, I can say that Mitch is right in his assessment of the film, that indeed it does require a certain amount of historical background from its viewers who wish to follow it closely and make the most sense of its labyrinthine plot, but the Bay of Pigs is pretty basic stuff, as it was a dismal failure, and cemented Castro's suspicions of the United States, and pushed him further into the arms of the Soviet Union. The film does not seek to explain this in great detail, as the Bay of Pigs and the year 1961 are just a backdrop, a launching pad for an intriguing and involving study of a fictional character named Edward Wilson (Damon). This is a story of his life and career, personal and professional relationships, and lots of treachery, betrayal, assassinations, torture, and other things the CIA has been known to do, though the organization itself would never openly discuss its activites. Wilson is part of a secret society at Yale, is recruited to spy on one of his professors (Gambon), who might have Nazi sympathies, and eventually he ends up serving in the OSS (precursor to the CIA) getting espionage lessons from Billy Crudup, a British spy. Wilson dates a deaf chick (Blanchard) and impregnates Angelina Jolie, whom he later marries. He interacts with a wheelchair-bound Army general (De Niro), and clashes with a KGB agent (Stefan), who becomes his nemesis. Yeah, the movie is 15 minutes shy of 3 hours, but that length is necessary for an epic, multiplayered narrative such as this. Bobby had tons of characters, but did not have the time to develop them all, and while there are several characters here that are never given the attention they deserve (Alec Baldwin and Joe Pesci just to name a few), it does fare better than Bobby did. The film speculates about the activities of the CIA, and details them through Edward's eyes. This is not a film concerned overly much with historical accuracy, but it is obvious that the CIA has been involved with most everything, from Middle Eastern coups to African civil wars, to international spy rings. Robert De Niro is a competent director, as his debut, A Bronx Tale, illustrated, and he creates an engrossing experience, despite the fact that there is a lot to keep track of, if you earnestly care about understanding what you see onscreen. Eric Roth co-wrote Munich, which certainly attests to his abilities. Damon's performance is extraordinary, and he really does excel at playing two-faced liars and deceivers, though he possesses less of that here than in The Talented Mr Ripley and Syriana. The movie looks and feels genuine, with a great sense of time and place, and some exciting and intense moments abound (especially with Damon and Stefan) that make it well worth the wait through the somewhat long-winded preliminary setup and introductory scenes. I think this is a great film. email this review to a friend
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