The Good Shepherd

Firstly, let us consider Christian Slater as a priest. Seems unlikely, doesn't it? Convincing he is not, but that doesn't make this a bad film. Far from it, in fact.

The Good Shepherd is an engaging whodunit about the corruption of the Catholic faith. It's not an amusing film; don't expect laughs. It takes itself seriously and at times feels a little too much like a TV drama.

It starts off well, with a decent pace, but slows down quite quickly. None of the characters are allowed to expand, because the focus is too much on Slater, and there is an interesting support cast hanging around that should have been given a better crack at the whip, particularly Father Andrews, played by Von Flores, who gives the best performance.

The plot follows Father Clemens (Slater) as he struggles to uncover the truth behind Father Andrews' alleged killing of a young boy and his subsequent suicide. Along the way, he enlists the help of an old flame (Molly Parker), whom he left behind when joining the priesthood.

The Good Shepherd manages to cover many topics, including drug abuse, child prostitution, suicide, homicide, deception and corruption, all of which seamlessly integrate into the seedy world of the Catholic Church.

The film is neither entertaining, nor exceptional, rather mildly thought provoking. Is it worth watching?

Yes (on the whole).