Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie are caught in the web of intrigue created with the formation of the CIA, and which also threatens their marriage. Robert DeNiro directs and appears in this intelligently written film from Eric Roth ("Munich").

Edward Wilson (Damon) is a Yale graduate, complete with prestigious affiliation in the mysterious Skull and Bones Society. He marries the socially connected, and beautiful, Clover (Jolie). In 1961 he’s tapped to help put together the clandestine government agency¾ that reports to no one¾ and the rest is recent political history.

These gray men, including a supporting cast of characters portrayed by Alec Baldwin and John Turturro, soon cross the line into black-ops territory.

The near automaton nature of the movements of Wilson and his colleagues appears stilted through the first half of "The Good Shepherd." Deliberate pacing and the complexity of the plot nearly sink the experience. But the rewards of the twists as the story progresses are worth the wait. Rated R.