I'm usually not one for biopics. I mean, if I was really interested in getting the low-down on someone's life, I could just do a quick Wikipedia search and boom, just saved myself two hours and 10 bucks. J. Edgar's story, though not one I think about on a regular basis does some pretty interesting, but again, would I really want to see a movie on it? Well, I have yet to see a Clint Eastwood film I didn't like (the most recent was "Invictus", about the fall of apartheid in South Africa) and Leo Di Caprio ranks as one of my favorite actors (I mean, you gotta give credit where it is due, Blood Diamond and Departed anyone?). This, combined with a desire to keep my Dad's visiting post-doc, Charles, from killing himself as winter sets in, convinced me to make a trip to our local theater.
Well.....I liked the film. Like I said above, the story of J. Edgar Hoover and some of his exploits is pretty interesting to me, and, at least in Mr. Eastwood's hands, made for a good film premise. The acting is really solid. I of course didn't know this, but Hoover apparently had an overly formal and direct way of speaking, so much so that is was almost embarrassing to hear. De Caprio pulled this off quite well I thought, and I enjoyed watching him. Naomi Watts plays Hoover's long-time secretary (whom Hoover actually proposed to after only knowing her for a few days. She rejected him, to say the least, but at least took his calls for him for all those years). I have never really been convinced by her, but she did alright here. Judi Dench plays the man's mother, and if the intention was to portray her as a domineering, somewhat creepy lady, it worked. Two other performances I was pretty impressed by were Clyde Tolson, Hoover's deputy and (suspected) lover, played by Armie Hammer, who some of you will recognize as playing the Winkelvoss twins is the fantastic "Social Network". There was also a decent cameo by Jeff Donovan as Robert Kennedy.
So, alright, the acting from the main roles was good all-around, and the story of Hoover's kept my interest for the two hours plus change. Don't go into this one looking for mystery and intrigue, as it appears Charles (though he said overall he liked the film) was hoping for. I think the most interesting part of the film comes in the form of Hoover's involvement in the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby boy. Other than that, there really isn't a whole lot of action or mystery or anything like that, it is purely meant to tell of the exploits of the man who dominated law enforcement in this country for the better part of 50 years. The only complaint I would have is that this film bounces around WAY too much. It is told as a flash back, and I can go along with switching between past and present, but those parts themselves should be linear, here they weren't. One part of the past was portrayed, then another part that occurred BEFORE the previous part, made things a bit confusing, though overall not too bad.
J. Edgar doesn't offer anything sexy, its just a solid film with good acting, and makes for a decent biopic. Though, again credit where it is due, the make-up/costume crew did an awesome job here. De Caprio, Watts and Hammer all played the younger and older forms of their characters, which, let me tell you, were quite different in appearance. Hats off to the make-up folks. Anyway, let me compare it to a football (soccer) match won by your favorite team: They didn't turn on the style, score any astonishing goals, or contribute anything to the high-light reel, but won the game comfortably 2-0.
Verdict: I am going to say see it; in this case, the biopic is a good way to become familiar with one of America's more controversial figures. However, its really not worth catching on the big screen. Wait until a cold or rainy night and give it a rent. Grade: B+
If you liked this movie you might also like: Movies/audiotapes of your friends performing certain intimate acts that you can use to blackmail them later (I did say that Hoover was controversial, didn't I?)
