In J. Edgar, the story of former FBI director J. Edgar hoover is told starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the controversial figure. Using prosthetics and makeup, the film is able to use the same actors to play the characters over a large period of history. I wouldn’t say that the technique necessarily looks realistic, but it’s pretty close. The film chooses a number of intriguing points in Hoover’s life to focus on. From his battle with communism to his relationship with his mother (Judi Dench) and his long time number two, Clyde Tolson, (Armie Hammer) there is no shortage of material for the film to use.
A major disappointment with J. Edgar lies in the fact that there is a great deal of speculation. No one knows the truth about the events depicted except for the eye-witnesses. Because of this, the drama needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Plus, (spoiler alert) the most interesting mystery of all, Hoover’s secret files, go unrevealed. From the bits that are public knowledge, they consist mostly of tabloid facts of who slept with who in Washington DC. But it would of course be interesting to know what is in them.
The film moves right along filled with powerful scenes and interesting moments. Hoover was such an interesting man that the character’s highs and lows are both deserving of sympathy from the audience. DiCaprio stretches well to fit the part and Hammer continues his run of strong support to potentially Oscar worthy films. He played two parts in the 2010 film, The Social Network. The transformation for the title character is so drastic between his younger and older years that it would make sense to question his personality traits. Though since the real story of Hoover is such a mystery, the film contains holes, and not all the answers are revealed as to why he ended up the way he did. (8.5 out of 10)
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