Review of J. Edgar (2011) by Maksim B — 11 Jul 2012

J. Edgar is the grand story of one of the most interesting American politicians of the 20th Century. A biopic which possess over all typical Clint Eastwood features, this movie is a stylish and intriguing take on a mythic person. Yet, the lack of focus and dramatic load deprive it from becoming what it was meant to be: another Oscar-grabbing Clint Eastwood classic.

Typically for an Eastwood movie, J.Edgar possess over this epic feature, that makes the audience anticipate a grand story, which would reveal more of the myth called J.Edgar Hoover. For more than two hours, the charisma which surrounds the long-time head of FBI is being torn into pieces and his manipulative, power-struggling personality. Yet, Eastwood takes a careful approach and never dives deeper into the dirty waters the manipulative politics and the secrets of his much-discussed sexuality.

Another formidable achievement in this movie is the heavy-weight performance of Leonardo DiCaprio. Already quite experienced with other epic biopics such as The Aviator, he delivers a stunning performance. Despite the unconvincing make up of the old J.Edgar, Di Caprio manages to pull his character through the difficulties and to keep the movie intriguing for those with interested in the American history and politics.

Unfortunately, what deprives J.Edgar from becoming a typical Client Eastwood classic is the unfocused story-telling and multiple technical issues which influence the overall perception for the movie. Apart from the chaotic and slow forth-and-back approach, the lighting approach seems to be hard to get used to. Even a non-specialist in movie-lighting (like me) could find that it is not enough and too greyish.

J. Edgar is definitely a movie to be seen and even it would be eventually enjoyed by the fans of American history. To me its value as a biopic of this interesting person and in terms of performances, Eastwood's movie is a must see. But, sadly if one has no interested in the American history, this movie would be quite boring and unbearably long. In the end, J.Edgar is a very solid movie, but far away from the level of Clint Eastwood's best movies.