J. Edgar

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Josh Lucas, Jeffrey Donovan, Dermot Mulroney
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2011

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) rises to power as the head of the FBI, a post where he sits for almost half a century.

Review:

Tim: J. Edgar is not one of the best movies of 2011. That in itself isn't so surprising, because most of the movies released during a year won't reach the upper echelon. However, given the talent involved- Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead, Clint Eastwood directing, and the subject matter (a historical biopic about one of America's most fascinating, complex figures)- you have to consider this movie a disappointment. It wanted to be among the year's best. Still, even though the movie is flawed and doesn't reach its full potential, it is still a very interesting movie about a man who deserves a movie about him. I found myself intrigued and entertained. I did enjoy J. Edgar.

The story is certainly told well, although it does feel like it's missing something. We follow Hoover's rise from an agent in the early department, watching as he transforms the FBI into a world-class, cutting-edge crime-fighting bureau. It's an interesting journey, to be sure. I liked seeing how the changes in Hoover's life impacted him. As he increased his power, he became increasingly isolated, lonely, fought against himself, and became more desperate to hold on and continue to increase that power. That is certainly a story worth telling.

Where the story fails is that we never really care about Hoover or any of the other characters. This is a pretty big flaw. We are asked to spent well over two hours with this character, and the whole time it feels like we're reading from a history book. Sure, we get a little more insight into him, but we never really feel a connection with him. What made Hoover tick? Who was he in the flesh and blood? I didn't feel any of that from this film. He still felt like a character at a distance- someone to watch and think about, but not someone I cared about. That prevents this movie from being great.

Leonardo DiCaprio is certainly good as Hoover. DiCaprio is such a talented actor and has experience in these types of films. With Eastwood's direction, there was no way he wouldn't have been enjoyable. While I was impressed with him, I don't think he perfectly captured the character the same way he did in a film like The Aviator. He has a few great moments, but overall, his performance felt like it was just beneath the level it should have.

The supporting characters are good. Armie Hammer was better than I expected him to be. I'm still not convinced he will be a great actor, but he worked well in this film. Naomi Watts was well cast, although her part didn't allow her to impact the movie much at all. Judi Dench was good, but I felt like her performance strayed into the melodramatic just a bit.

J. Edgar is a good movie, but given everything and everyone involved here, you know it was shooting much higher. This is one of those films that is simultaneously good and disappointing. It's not a surprise that this film wasn't nominated for a single Academy Award- it's simply not good enough.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Aviator, Blood Diamond, Invictus