Michael Samstag

I recently watched this movie on Netflix and found it disappointing. Despite an intriguing subject matter (the origin of the C.I.A.) and a talented cast, the script and direction fell short, resulting in an unnecessarily convoluted story. Particularly, I was disappointed with the development of Matt Damon's character, who was supposed to be a super-intelligent secret agent and ultra compelling to women but came across as flat and uninteresting. Other films like Damon's "Good Will Hunting," which portrays a misunderstood genius with a personality disorder, and "The Conversation," depicting a surveillance geek on the edge of a nervous breakdown, handle similar themes more effectively. Even "Dead Poets Society" explores father-son relationship dysfunction among the upper crust more compellingly. It seems that no one had the courage to give Mr. De Niro honest feedback during production, and the result is a wasted opportunity.