This
film is rife with history and a bit of a commentary on how society has changed
from the 1920s until now. J. Edgar is clearly about J. Edgar Hoover, the
man who helped form the FBI into what it is today. While his childhood is very
briefly touched upon, the film's main focus is on his career with little
mention of anything else. I find it interesting that we are told Hoover's story
as Hoover sees it, not necessarily from a historically correct aspect, which
includes references to Hoover's alleged homosexuality. I think the film could
have been much stronger with a more clearly written screenplay. I didn't find
the nonlinear storyline to be at all effective.
DiCaprio's performance as Hoover is fantastic, and I fully expect him to at
least be nominated for an Oscar because of it. Judi Dench plays Hoover's controlling
mother, and she too gives a very convincing portrayal. Their performances are
the highlight of the film for me. Prior to J. Edgar, I hadn't known much
about Armie Hammer, who plays Hoover's primary companion and subordinate Clyde
Tolson. Now I anxiously look
forward to seeing him in other upcoming projects thanks to his solid work here.
The
biggest disappointment in the film is the aging special effects. DiCaprio's
Hoover almost looks like he's legitimately an old man, but some of the
secondary characters seemed as if they were wearing ill-fitting rubber masks,
particularly Armie Hammer. The lack of realism distracted me from the story.
Additionally,
some scene transitions are frustrating as the camera seems out of focus for the
first few seconds. The cinematography is quite interesting since the film is
primarily in brown and gray tones. The somewhat drab palette actually seems to
work with the film, but I think a little more color could have added a great
deal of visual interest.
J.
Edgar could have
been much stronger had the script been a bit more interestingly written. The performances are spectacular, but I
don't think they're enough to elevate the storyline to where it could have been.
