By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Armie Hammer | Dermot Mulroney | Judi Dench | Leonardo DiCaprio | Naomi Watts
Country: united_states
Year: 2011
Running time: 137
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1616195/
Bruce says: “J. EDGAR is a curious film. Had it appeared a decade ago, the story of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) would have no doubt been scandalous; today it seems as exciting as tepid milk. Hoover, often considered as one of the most odious figures on the American political landscape, began working in the Bureau of Investigation and was made head in 1924 until it morphed into the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935. Hoover remained head of that organization until he died unexpectedly in 1972 at the age of 77. During his helmsmanship, Hoover gathered dossiers on prominent political and social figures to use as blackmail. He was a ruthless boss, often banishing or dismissing those agents he did not like or who he considered a threat to his authority.
“Eastwood’s film has a Gothic quality which, while appropriate for a subject who is furtive and conniving, makes the story dark and wooden. Hoover had an unhealthy attachment to his mother (Judi Dench) who was definitely the woman behind the man. That is unless you consider sidekick Clyde Tolson or secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) for that role. Tolson, five years Hoover’s junior, joined the FBI in 1927 and became the Associate Director of the FBI in 1930, a meteoric rise in the ranks. Tolson and Hoover ate all their meals together (Tolson demanded that before taking the promotion) and vacationed together, although they lived separately. Gandy was Hoover’s secretary for fifty-four years and was the person who most shielded Hoover from outside forces. It is widely believed, as depicted in the film, that Gandy was the one who destroyed all of Hoover’s personal files upon hearing of his death.
“DiCaprio and Hammer are both superb in their respective roles. Judi Dench looks good but has so little to sink her teeth into that she seems wasted in her part. Naomi Watts gets more action than Dench but still is shuffled away from the foreground. After all it was strictly a man’s world.
“Among the more heinous crimes Hoover committed was to fabricate a letter to Martin Luther King, hoping that the missive would convince King to refuse the Nobel Peace prize. The plan did not work which infuriated Hoover who considered King America’s greatest domestic threat. On screen Hoover seems petty and pitiful in such moments. J. EDGAR is not a bad film, it’s just not as interesting as it should be. One would think that Dustin Lance Black who won an Oscar for MILK could have concocted a more compelling screenplay. Or was it merely in the hands of the wrong director? 3 cats”
Marilyn says: “I think it was the screenplay, not the actors or director. A decision had to be made about what story they wanted to tell and the screenplay threw everything against the wall, hoping something would stick and nothing did. DiCaprio worked so hard and had some great moments but it was wasted on a very boring script with no focus. I think you are kind, Bruce, calling it ‘curious.'”