The good shepherd

The good shepherd is one of the longest movies I have ever seen. It lasts for almost 3 hours, twice as long as most of the movies.

This movie is about the life of a legendary spy. But it's nothing like the glamorous 007 movie. The story is realistic and slow paced, sometimes even boring. There are so many characters that I have difficulties in recognizing who is whom. The plot is so complicated and there are so many metaphors so that I have to replay certain parts to find out what is really going on. It's the kind of mind-challenging movies that you'll have to keep focused all the time. However, you might not understand all of it even then.

Matt gives a mediocre performance, but there are no much room for him to shine. I guess he is better playing these bad guys such as "the talented Riply".Angelina Julie looks absolutely fantastic even for the character in her twenties. And she looks credible for a sad wife and worried mother too.

Not bad for the first movie directed by Robert Deniro. But I still think he is better at acting than directing. I believe this movie is worth seeing but don't keep your hopes too high. I'll give it 6.5/10.

Painted Veil

Painted Veil is a nice movie I recently saw. Tyler Durden and KingKong girl both gave excellent performance. Most importantly, the movie was shot in southern China and most scenes were incredibly beautiful with mountains and rivers. I did some background checking and found that the title was from a poem by Shelly. Don't we all have painted veils?

Here goes the poem:

Lift not the painted veil which those who live
Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,
And it but mimic all we would believe
With colours idly spread:--behind, lurk Fear
And Hope, twin destinies; who ever weave
The shadows, which the world call substance, there.

I knew one who lifted it--he sought,
For his lost heart was tender, things to love
But found them not, alas! nor was there aught
The world contains, the which he could approve.
through the unheeding many did move,
A splendour among shadows, a bright blot
Upon this gloomy scene, a Spirit that strove
For truth, and like the Preacher found it not.

By Percy Bysshe Shelley, Sonnet IV in Posthumous Poems