I would never have guessed that before I saw “J. Edgar” I would leave the theatre less than satisfied, but I did; read on for why!
Clint Eastwood and Leo DiCaprio…blockbuster in the making, right?!?! Wrong. Unfortunately, while the costumes and cinematography were to be applauded, the story was not. Leo did his best to delve into the historical figure much like he approaches all of his roles, but I think the script failed him here.
The story plays out as a series of flashbacks from a senior J. Edgar Hoover dicatating his career with the FBI to an array of young men who type it for him. Various personal life moments, most focusing on his relationship with his mother and personal secretary are interspersed. We learn he is eager to please, hungry for power and a pioneer of the modern war on crime; and then a spotlight-loving dictator who loses his way. Unfortunately, so does the story. With so much bouncing back and forth between the past and the present, it becomes hard to form an opinion on the character; who in the end comes off as a miserable old man.
The handling of the relationship between J. Edgar and his lifelong number two at the FBI, Clyde Tolson, also added to the muddiness of the drama. While Tolson’s character was clearly made out to be a homosexual, and the two men shared a kiss, the film did a bad job of walking the “is he or isn’t he gay?” line with Leo’s character. The makeup the two wore also was terribly distracting! It’s really hard to look at two gorgeous young men in fat suits and prosthetics with fake liver spots and believe that they were in their seventies.
All that said, Armie Hammer gave an amazing performance! He really impressed me and stole the show. See “J. Edgar” for that, if nothing else! Dame Judy Dench as J. Edgar’s mother gave a superb performance, and Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy, Hoover’s secretary, was spot on. In the end, Clint Eastwood directed a movie with lots of wonderful parts that didn’t make up a perfect whole.
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