He revolutionized criminal forensics. He dug for (and found) more dirt than any archaeologist that ever walked the earth. And, he had a few skeletons of his own in the ole closet for good measure. He's John Edgar Hoover, better known as J. Edgar. Criminology prior to his days in law enforcement was, well, basically a joke. Not only did J. Edgar bring science to his 48 year tenure at the FBI, he brought the bugs. No, not the kind the creepy, crawly kind, rather bugs of the 'wire tap' variety. Actually, it was one of the reasons that he was able to stay the main man in charge for nearly five decades. Whether it was Eleanor Roosevelt or JFK, J. Edgar had enough dirt to keep all off his back.
The story picks up in the 20's with John Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio). He's a young man of 24 whose career is set to take off. He's quickly named head of the bureau, that he essentially forms and, in time, turns into a beacon of law enforcement. Of course, it's often said that behind every great man is a great...mom. Enter Anna Marie Hoover (Judi Dench). She molds her son into the fierce FBI man that he became, but she was merely one influence. Enter Clyde Tolson (Armi Hammer). He's an Ivy League guy turned G-Man--actually, Clyde emerges as J. Edgar's right-hand man...in more ways than one. There's an apparent attraction between the two, which most often is swept under the rug. Actually, we don't really get a clear picture from the flick as to whether or not the two actually consummated their mutual attraction. The attraction is at least apparent. However, as the sign of the times looms, according at least to this account, the two might never have shared more than a frustrated kiss and an admission of love. Yadayadayada we cover five decades of history, learning much along the way in a movie that is headed to the forefront of Oscar consideration come January.
It's good...very good actually. I'll go with 4.0 Stars here with Leo jumping out as a clear fave for Best Actor. It's a story that jumps around among several points in history, but is easily followed. Actually one of the reasons it's so easily followed is the obvious age of the characters from one point to another. The aged J. Edgar and Clyde are easy indicators of where the story has gone. This brings me to my only real criticism of J. Edgar, the make-up. The aged version of J. Edgar is fine. I didn't really have an issue there. However, the same version of Clyde and Helen Gandy (Noami Watts) were both a farce--and by 'farce', I mean OH MY GOSH, THAT'S SO DAMN FAKE IT'S DISTRACTING! Never fear, a fairly fast-paced and certainly fascinating story told in an equally interesting way more than makes up for the lousy make-up.
Cudos and thanks to Clint, who is proving to be as talented as a director as he was an an actor, which is exceptionally high praise. And cudos to Leo--great role for a truly talented actor. As for Armi. Wow--he certainly goes big or not at all, doesn't he? Last year it was Oscar staple The Social Network now it's J. Edgar. I think we'll continue to see good stuff from this guy for awhile.
To me, J. Edgar is a must see on the BIG screen. If you're not a history buff, there's probably no reason to even rent it unless you're a fan of one of the cast members. You will miss out, however, on a true piece of history about one of the most iconic men in history: J. Edgar Hoover.
True...OUT!
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