Eastwood’s ‘J. Edgar’ looks at the soft side of the hardball F.B.I. director
DiCaprio in ‘J. Edgar’
J. Edgar Hoover did a lot of good while he was the head of the F.B.I., including organizing a national file for fingerprint identification. But, like many men who are allowed to stay in power for too long, he abused his position in his latter years, creating secret files that he used to blackmail people to bend them to his side.
His personal life has also been the subject of investigation and speculation, with the conclusion being that he was a repressed homosexual. In essence, Hoover was a fascinating, complicated man and there were literally dozens of ways to approach a portrait of Hoover.
Director Clint Eastwood with J. Edgar, has chosen to reveal his personal side as the central theme. While this might be a valid approach, it doesn’t make for a very interesting movie. While Eastwood, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk) and star Leonardo DiCaprio do show the petty, backstabbing side of Hoover, they do it in such a way that it seems to imply that his domineering mother (played by Judi Dench) was the main cause of his unfortunate ugly behavior on the job.
His repressed sexuality — as represented by his long time assistant and companion Clyde Tolson (played by Armie Hammer), made him even more determined to use secrets to bully people. J. Edgar suggests that knowing how devastating his own secret longing for Tolson would be received if made public, fueled his determination to use his accrued secrets as the bludgeon to keep his distracters at bay.
Giving sympathy to a man who keep secret files on national heroes he despised, including Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy, feels like an odd approach. However, if that sympathy had felt convincing, J. Edgar might have been a more compelling portrait. Instead, it feels like two plus hours of trying to convince us that Hoover wasn’t all that bad.
J. Edgar shows us Hoover’s monstrous moments as an aside rather than a central theme. The film’s central theme reveals a man who was haunted by his own proclivities. Because of his own secrets, in particular his secret love for Tolan, he was always digging around to find ammunition against his real and perceived enemies. He bestowed respect towards very few individuals. Contempt was his driving emotion and perhaps that was his downfall.
The acting in J. Edgar is acceptable but except for Hammer, not exceptional, and the old age makeup looks horrible and unconvincing.
In conclusion, Eastwood’s take on J. Edgar Hoover feels like a major miscalculation.
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1. Anonymous said... on Nov 18, 2011 at 11:35PM
“----Eastwood's been delivering stale. demoralizing,
'EUGENICS friendly', POST American works for decades
now. His latest Hoover and 'Star is Born' retreads
confirm this pattern.
Meanwhile, Ewastwood himself, a Korea era draftee,
who NEVER went to Korea, has BALKED the 20th -30th--40th
--50th and now 60th Anniversaries of the awesomey
relevant -------KOREAN WAR--------.
ALL you need to know about the stylized, whispery cowboy.
--CASE CLOSED--”
2. Sharon Howe said... on Nov 19, 2011 at 04:22PM
“I was somewhat disappointed in this movie as I also took it for mostly centering on it as "a love story" more than anything. There was so much more they could have shown considering the amount of years he was head of the FBI. I also enjoyed Hammer's performance ... the hurt lover.
Also I think an impact would have been made if people realized it took close to 2 months to shred all the documents and most of it done in a room just down the hall from where Hoover's office was before Helen Gandy transferred them to Hoover's home and finished there.
Not sure why but always put Hoover and McCarthy in the same boat ... thinking themselves to be do-gooders but not really.”
3. T.R. said... on Nov 28, 2011 at 09:10AM
“I'm disappointed to read Lori's review as I like Eastwood's films a good deal, generally. I have yet to see the film and I often find Lori's take dovetails with my own. It sounds that like Bird, another Eastwood biopic, the film fails to find a proper hook. I'll still see it, as stories about the political intrigues of Washington DC generally fascinate me, but I'm glad I read this as it will manage my expectations. I may even be able to enjoy it for expecting a highly flawed film. Thanks for the thoughtful review.”