Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover
Like I have several times previously, I initially doubted that the still baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio would be able to play a much older character of gravitas, but DiCaprio’s turn as the revered and reviled J. Edgar Hoover in his late 70’s is both a technical marvel and proof that it’s what’s inside the actor’s performance that makes all the difference.
Clint Eastwood’s 2 ¼ hour bio pic has its faults, but the titular character is presented as a multi-dimensional human being, not the cartoon-like character that many of us of a certain age are familiar with. Indeed, Hoover, it seems, was a complex man, haunted by his beloved mother, living an apparent lie, where his sexual orientation was concerned, and prone to using his powers to blackmail the nation’s most powerful figures over the 47 years that he headed the FBI.
The relationship between Hoover and Clyde Tolson (who were always presumed to be romantic partners in an era where such a thing couldn’t be publicly acknowledged) has moments that range from knowing chuckles from the audience, to truly touching scenes involving the sometimes hurtful existence led by Tolson, who loved an “unlovable” and, apparently unloving man.
And yet, there is a palpable lack of surprise, a lack of tension and suspense. The story telling, like the color de-saturated cinematography, is often rather flat and muted. It often plays more like a “Hoover’s Greatest Hits”, rather than a discovery of things not known, or at least a new perspective.
That’s not to say that the film is a snooze-fest, but when you find yourself analyzing how good the make-up is (and at times it is very, very good) and how well Leo “Mans Up” for the part, then by definition you’re not being enveloped by the story. Leo is an odds on favorite for some award nominations, but the venerable Mr. Eastwood’s leisurely pacing and absence of “a-ha” moments may have him sitting out this year.
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“J. Edgar” (Hoover) is the biography of the man who was the ultimate bureaucrat. It also explores his intense relationship with his assistant Clyde Tolson. Good performances and meticulous recreations of many events will put this on the Oscar lists.
GRADE = “A-“