The film reunited him onscreen with Joe Pesci, co-star from "Raging Bull", "Goodfellas", "A Bronx Tale", "Casino", and among others"." Based on the screenplay by Eric Roth, the project was personal for De Niro, who was raised during the Cold War and fascinated by it. Despite starring some of Hollywood's leading actors; Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Alec Baldwin, the film garnered a mixed reception. Writing for "The" "Sydney Morning Herald", Sandra Hall noted its slow pace, stating "There's a potentially fascinating slice of American history here, but De Niro has carved it up with an excruciatingly dull knife". The critic from "USA Today" found the plot initially hard to follow, but praises De Niro for "creating a stirring personal tale". "The Good Shepherd" was nominated for Best Art Direction at the 79th Academy Awards. Finally in 2006, he voiced the character Emperor Sifrat XVI in "Arthur and the Invisibles." His sole project in 2007 was Matthew Vaughn's "Stardust", a fantasy adventure, based on Neil Gaiman's 1999 novel of the same name. He plays Captain Shakespeare, the leader of a ship. The film was generally well received, although one critic from "New York" magazine thought De Niro's performance was "god-awful—yet his gung-ho spirit wins him Brownie points". The following year, he starred in the police procedural thriller "Righteous Kill" opposite Al Pacino, both playing New York City detectives who investigate serial executions of criminals who escaped justice. The film's response was mainly disappointing; Peter Hartlaub of "San Francisco Chronicle" thought the story was unoriginal and De Niro lacked energy. The film grossed $78 million from a budget of $60 million. Next, he starred in "What Just Happened" (2008), a satirical comedy based on Art Linson's experiences as a producer in Hollywood. The film was screened at the 2008 Canne Film Festival as an out-of-competition entry. "The Sydney Morning Herald" opined that most reviewers gave the film a lukewarm reception because of the character he plays, which is "sympathetic" and quieter than his earlier roles. In 2009, he was cast as Frank Goode in the drama "Everybody's Fine", a remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's Italian film of the same name. Although the film's response was equally mixed, "The Guardian"'s critic praised De Niro for a "decent, watchable performance in a while".In 2010, he had a minor part as Senator John McLaughlin in the action film "Machete".