denis888 What happened? The whole movie could have been a winning formula - directed by Clnit Eastwood, starring powerhouses like Leonardo DiCaprio, Judi Dench among others, depicting life and work of such awesome man as J. Edgar Hoover was, this film should have been excellent. It didn't happen this way. There are several resaons for this flop: 1. Sheer length - 2 hours killed all the potential. 2. Dark light scheme made the film look rather sickly sepia 3.Weaker parts played by several actors, Armie Hammer particularly, made this film a very uneven unbalanced flick 4. Jumps, plot omissions, certain falsified guesses, obvious manipulations with facts added to a very blurred aray of disapponted meh In general, good idea badly spoilt

Screen_Blitz The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI for short, has sustained as the one of the most powerful organizations in America since its inauguration in the early twentieth during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. Hollywood tycoon Clint Eastwood attempts to strike not specifically on the history of the organization but the company's most powerful figure. And that man was John Edgar Hoover, who served as the head of the FBI during World War II, The Korean War, and the Vietnam War and for eight consecutive presidents. Who would better suit the role as the the FBI's head honcho than Leonardo DiCaprio? As debatable as it is, DiCaprio's portrayal sets a major highlight that triumphs above everything that makes the film less than memorable proceeding. While Eastwood has the noblest intentions, his rendition of the story focusing on the titular man fail to capture the legacy that made Hoover one of the most respected figures in American history. What transpires in the 136-minute runtime is a long series of historical facts presented with a script ad storytelling that feels too uneven for its own good. This film focuses on J. Edgar Hoover (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), from his rise to becoming the director of the FBI, to his tackling on notorious crimes such as the Lindbergh kidnappings and gang activity by the infamous John Dillinger, to his attempts on fighting the communist threats during the Cold War. With his career in the office spanning over five decades, this film focuses on impressing issues such as his relationship with his assistants Clyde Tolson (played by Armie Hammer) who appeared to be his possible lover, and his erratic relationship with his secretary Helen Gandy (played by Naomi Watts) as he went to great lengths of challenge the ethical boundaries of his position as the head of one of America's most profound organizations. Clint Eastwood and writer Dustin Lance Black, who wrote the script for the biopic 'Milk', spit plenty of textbook information about Hoover during his fifty-plus years running the FBI. But Eastwood's take on the absorbing subject matter feels all too conventional and falls short of the legacy behind Hoover's career. This results in those who bear interest in the history surrounding Hoover going in and being fed a more than a truck load of information about him, but coming out learning very little of what made him one of the powerful figures in the complicated world of law and justice. What Eastwood manages to capture throughout the picture are facts that are at least interesting, but on a fraction of what the film throws at us is remotely remarkable. The film deals with a man who worked seemingly endless days fighting against the Communist movement that nearly ran amok during the Cold War and the violent gang activity by some of America's most notorious criminals. But the film too often keeps everything surface level and fails to dig deeper into the landmark aspects that made his career truly defining. The best aspect Eastwood manages to wring out from the history surrounding the central figure is the look of both the pre and post-World War II era, which he obtains through a desaturated color tone. Lucky for us, Leonardo DiCaprio is the man who keep the portrayal of Hoover lively. With the story flashing back and forth to early years and later years of Hoover's career, DiCaprio is covered in make-up to obtain the old age look of Hoover during his close-to-retirement age. His assistant played by Armie Hammer goes through a similar process, except with make-up that looks more subpar than DiCaprio's when the story jumps the two in their old ages. It is safe to say he plays the role out fine though. J. Edgar is a middle-of-the-road biopic that falls short of its potential in place of an uneven script and a portrayal of the titular figure's checkered history that feels way too conventional. Compared to Clint Eastwood's previous works, this one feels a little dull. That is not to say Leonardo DiCaprio isn't a revelation behind the bright side of the picture. Sadly, Eastwood's take on the subject matter fails to leave much of an impact.

zkonedog Though most definitely an interesting subject, the trouble with adapting the life of J. Edgar Hoover to the big screen is that he was such a secretive person. Very few people (most of which took the secrets to their grave) knew the "true story" of J. Edgar, leaving much up for interpretation. Thus, whether you not you perceive this as a good film will largely depend on your faith in director Clint Eastwood.For a basic plot summary, "J Edgar" focuses on, well, the life of the former FBI director (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). From his relationship with his mother (Judi Dench) and a complicated friendship with his "number two man" Clyde Tolson (Arnie Hammer), Eastwood paints a portrait of Hoover while also describing the events that took place to create the modern FBI and intelligence-gathering as we know it.This movie works primarily because it is such an interesting subject. J. Edgar is a fascinating character study in his own right, while the story of the FBI is even more compelling. I knew relatively nothing about either subject going in, and was surprised at nearly every turn.The film's "intangibles" are also solid. Eastwood is his usual masterful self, providing both the framework and the music for the piece. The acting is top-notch and really succeeds in putting viewers inside the time period.The only thing holding this movie back, potentially, was the fact that some of the character arcs were left incomplete (whether intentionally or not I can't say). For example, I never felt as if I really understood Hoover's relationship with his mother, despite the fact that much time was devoted to the pair on-screen. To me, the "FBI stuff" was what really stole the show.All in all, "J Edgar" is a worthwhile view for history buffs and is just a solid movie overall. I trust Eastwood in presenting a decent version of the facts at hand, and thus I was able to enjoy the experience. Your trust level will more than likely determine your feelings as well.

FilmBuff1994 J. Edgar is a good movie with a well developed storyline and a terrific cast. It's a very impressive biography film that informs us on the life of J. Edgar Hoover, who was head of the FBI for almost fifty years, it certainly does a great job of conveying the dedication, as well as struggles, that this man had. It still has many flaws however, probably a lot more than you would expect from a film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but the narrative of the film is very confusing, it jumps around to different parts of Hoover's life and this can get very puzzling at times, also I don't think anyone other than DiCaprio was given enough time to shine, a powerful performance is also related to the many actors who support you, but I never felt like anyone else was given a proper opportunity to do so. The best scenes are certainly those with the older Hoover, DiCaprio's performance is the most powerful here as he is almost completely unrecognizable in stunning make up and a powerful voice. It has its downfalls, but J. Edgar is still a very interesting and enjoyable film that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good drama or biography. An exploration of the public and private persons of J. Edgar Hoover, the controversial head of the FBI. Best Performance: Leonardo DiCaprio Worst Performance: Judi Dench