A spy story that doesn’t rush things

I agree with Kenneth Turan’s review of “The Good Shepherd” [“A Spy Whose Soul Goes Undercover,” Dec. 22]. I’ve often felt Robert De Niro was an underrated director. Just watch his feature directorial debut, “A Bronx Tale” (1993). It is much different than the more stylized “The Good Shepherd.”

With recent spy movies such as “Casino Royale” dazzling audiences with action, it’s refreshing to see a film that takes a more understated approach to the world of espionage, and even more refreshing to find a filmmaker who isn’t afraid to allow his actors to take their time and have moments, an element often missing in today’s blockbusters.

KATHARINE KRAMER

Valley Village