Regular readers know that not all movies are created equal even before you see them. There’s just no denying that I look forward to some movies more than others, and even though a movie I think will be bad can surprise me, it probably won’t. So for every three Jack and Jills, there’s usually one J. Edgar that I’m actually looking forward to. Let’s see how this biopic of J. Edgar Hoover fared…
What Works: I don’t think Leonardo DiCaprio would have been anyone’s first choice to play the extremely complicated, former head of the FBI, but he acquits himself surprisingly well. It’s a difficult role for an actor to nail as Hoover is pretty much a walking contradiction: he’s deeply conservative and derides everyone’s character around him but remains oblivious when he acts badly, he’s forward thinking and righteous in his crime solving methods but refuses to ever change himself and thinks nothing of blackmail, he casts scorn on politician’s sex lives but is a closeted homosexual whose paranoia might stem from himself (it feels like he’s trying to suppress more than communism). In a way you could call him symbolic of America, you’d be tempted to call Hoover a hypocrite except that he’s so earnest and unknowing in his hypocrisy. The movie does a good job of showing Hoover in all his complexities without coming to any simple conclusions of the man.
What Doesn’t: Eastwood’s typical bleached out cinematography sucks the movie of any visual energy, same as it did for The Changeling and The Hereafter before it. Several stylistic (or lack of style) choices make J. Edgar feel pretty dreary for a movie that already has a drab, claustrophobic lead character and the whole thing could have really benefited from more flair. Also, too much of the movie takes place in cloistered offices which is probably where Hoover felt most comfortable but the audience will lose interest with this after a while.
What I Would Have Done Differently: I couldn’t help but think what a different director would have done with this movie. Imagine Michael Mann (who covered similar territory better in Public Enemies) or Steven Soderbergh getting ahold of this guy’s story and perhaps casting Matt Damon (good at playing icy manipulators in The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Good Shepard). I just think the whole movie could have been better organized and telling the story more linear instead of cross cutting between old Hoover telling his story and young Hoover living it would have helped and actually made the movie feel more subtle.
I think you should be a director of that movie and maybe more. You seem to know alot about movies.