J. Edgar | Review
The great Clint Eastwood is continuing his long streak of directing and releasing at least one film per year, and his latest attempt is an interesting look into the life of J. Edgar Hoover (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio). This biopic covers one of the most important American figures of the past century, and delves into both his public appearance and private life. The result is a well-made, though uneven, film that falters by being too ambitious for its own good.
J. Edgar Hoover was the very first Director of the FBI (he was actually appointed the position when it was just the “Bureau of Investigation.”), and he greatly influenced the agency. Hoover paved the way for more efficient investigative procedures, such as the organization of criminals’ fingerprints and the use of forensic science for evidence.
Hoover’s rise to power was quick and drastic. He had the respect, admiration, and fear from everyone surrounding him. Those who defied Hoover, or represented ideals against his own beliefs, were spied upon and looked into. None of the seven American presidents who reined during Hoover’s time as the director of the FBI could touch him.
Things are turned upside down when we peer into Hoover’s personal life, one that includes cross-dressing and hints of homosexuality. Though this part of Hoover’s life had been heavily speculated upon, it’s never been proven. ‘J. Edgar’ doesn’t exploit this part of Hoover’s life. Rather, the film merely depicts it as a part of his insecure and troubled mindset.
Hoover’s lifelong companion was the suave law school graduate Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer, from ‘The Social Network’), who worked as the FBI’s Associate Director. The two were very close and stayed side-by-side for the majority of their lives. It’s rumored that Hoover and Tolson were lovers (Tolson received Hoover’s entire estate when he died, after all), though their sexual relationship is never depicted in the film. Their companionship and need for one another is more important and showcased in ‘J. Edgar’.
This film, written by Dustin Lance Black (‘Milk’), spans over seven decades. The narrative is nonlinear, switching back and forth between an old Hoover and one in his early 20’s. This narrative style is the cause of the film’s dull and weary moments, especially when the film switches time periods lazily and sloppily.
Though ‘J. Edgar’ is well acted, especially by the unsurprisingly impressive Leonardo DiCaprio, several of the film’s important characters are given barely any depth. Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) was a very important secretary to Hoover, and stood by his side till his death. The problem is, however, it’s never truly explained why Gandy supported Hoover so much for so many years. Sure, Hoover did ask her out on a date when they first met in their early years, but he never showed any personal interest in her. When they went on their date Hoover explained how a filing system worked rather than talk about anything personal. The film depicts Hoover’s interest in women as only an attempt to maintain his powerful image. Judi Dench (‘Chocolat’) portrays Hoover’s mother, someone we only see as a caring, but homophobic mother who’d rather a dead son than a “daffodil.”
The cinematography by Tom Stern is fine, though the dull, grey palette of the film can sometimes be bothersome. The prosthetics used to age the central characters are impressive, though uneven. DiCaprio’s aging is perfectly fine and believable, but the aging of Armie Hammer’s Tolson is totally off-putting. Hammer’s “aged man” movements are also unbelievable, which takes away some of the suspense of disbelief that these actors are actually old.
‘J. Edgar’ is a film by an admirable Hollywood contributor. Clint Eastwood is a fine actor, and he’s directed many great films. Eastwood has made much better films than ‘J. Edgar’, so it’s slightly disappointing that this film isn’t anything but good.
