Movie Review: 'J. Edgar' a solid biopic about the late creator of the FBI, starring Leonard DiCaprio
Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 1:57pm
Director Clint Eastwood's film about J. Edgar Hoover, currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, shows the real creator of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with all of the faults and strengths clearly shown.The movie, "J. Edgar," follows the man from his early days with the U.S. attorney general's office to his days as ruler of a giant bureaucracy of lawyers and police.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in impressive style, able to reflect the strengths with a quick smirk that made Hoover so powerful and at the same time depending on his mother Anna Marie (Judi Dench) and all of the other quirks that went into his persona. DiCaprio is the figure on which all rests and he carries off a powerful portrait of a man going from youthful enthusiasm to adult strengths and weaknesses.
He is ably assisted by Naomi Watts as his worshipful and loyal secretary Helen Gandy and Armie Hammer as Clyde Tolson, Hoover's No. 2 and a stalwart friend and associate and in the later stages of the movie as a possible homosexual companion. Tolson and Hoover become close, dining together, going to the horse races together. Hints of a close relation are dropped. And highlighted.
As Hoover takes over the corrupt and incompetent FBI, he moves to clean out the dead wood and establish the first real scientific crime lab in America. He does so at a moment in history when bombs were being planted at major American officials' homes and offices. Hoover develops a mania about the threats to America from communists and anarchists. And a demand that all FBI agents are above reproach.
Along the way Hoover begins compiling a "secret" file about potential enemies such as presidents and congressmen. He finally runs up against Bobby Kennedy, his boss as attorney general, and he loses.
When his mother dies, Hoover weeps and dons her necklace and her dress in mourning. He dies after having Grandy promise to destroy his "secret" files on his death, and she does so just as Richard Nixon's operatives come barging in seeking those files.
DiCaprio turns in what his finest performance yet, aging and thickening into the final Hoover image. Watts is dependable and understated in her role, and Hammer convincing as a Hoover loyalist to the end.
One can be ambivalent about the depiction of Hoover as a closet gay; hard evidence is not there, but the script by Dustin Lance Black is definite in its conclusions.
This is a movie of some quality, happily not a car crash or chase, just the development of a biography. Eastwood continues to enhance his reputation as a dependable, intelligent director. Rate it as a good movie, no more numbers on ratings. Just good or bad.
--- Sam Bauman
Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover
- Armie Hammer as Clyde Tolson
- Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy
- Damon Herriman as Bruno Hauptmann
- Jeffrey Donovan as Robert F. Kennedy
- Judi Dench as Anna Marie, Hoover's mother.
- Ed Westwick as Agent Smith, Hoover's biographer
- Josh Lucas as Charles Lindbergh
- Ken Howard as U.S. Attorney General Harlan F. Stone
- Stephen Root as Arthur Koehler
- Geoff Pierson as Alexander Mitchell Palmer
- Lea Thompson as Lela Rogers
- Gunner Wright as Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Directed by Clint Eastwood
- Produced by Clint Eastwood, Brian Grazer, Robert Lorenz
- Written by Dustin Lance Black
- Music by Clint Eastwood
- Cinematography Tom Stern
- Editing by Joel Cox
- Gary D. Roach
- Running time 137 minutes, Rated R
