'J Edgar'

'J Edgar' (R) (3 1/2 STARS)

Written By Dustin Lance Black
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Josh Lucas, Josh Hamilton, Geoff Pierson, Lea Thompson

Sometimes a certain director of movies can handle subject matter better than most. Looking back at the career of Clint Eastwood, the director, I must say he is the only film maker that could have done justice to "J Edgar". This is a unique film maker who is one of the best women's film directors who can tell a story from any viewpoint. I say this because the subject matter of "J Edgar" deals with sensitive subject matter that is provocative and in the wrong hands could have been a melodramatic mess. Eastwood and his amazing lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio have made "J Edgar" a powerful and touching movie. I didn't know what to expect but I thought this would be a cold, political movie and I was wrong.

To me Clint Eastwood was the first modern film maker to give the Western a chance at presenting strong women characters in 1972's "The Beguiled". He made a slyly feminist movie wrapped up in a revenge, "Dirty Harry" movie "Sudden Impact" with Sandra Locke as a woman who finally takes control and gets revenge on men who raped her and her sister. He gave us a remarkable adaptation of a bad book "Bridges of Madison County" where he showed women could be beautiful without being glamourous. He also gave us one of the strongest female characters I have seen in the past decade with his masterpiece "Million Dollar Baby".

I mention all this again because Eastwood and writer Dustin Lance Black have presented a touching and beautiful love story between two men. We all know the rumors of J Edgar putting on a dress and being a closeted homosexual. I can just imagine someone like Oliver Stone (no offense to Oliver) or a lesser film maker making this movie a lurid and perverse movie. "J Edgar" tells the story of the legendary lawman who became the head of the FBI. It goes behind the scenes showing us how J Edgar Hoover was admired, shunned, reviled and respected by his peers. We also meet his partner in law enforcement and companionship Clyde Tolson. J Edgar lived with his contolling and respected mother most of his life. The movie shows us the inner workings of the FBI and Hoover's command of it plus we see his home life and relationship with Clyde.

J Edgar and Clyde were inseperable after a while and would go on vacations together and have lunch everyday together. They would form a complicated friendship and relationship. The movie does a wonderful and measured job of showing how J Edgar struggled with his sexual urges and feelings towards Clyde. What seems like a cold and simply told story of the government and J Edgar turns into a touching and powerful love story. There are scenes that could have turned into unintentionally funny moments but the writing is so smart and beautiful and Eastwood's direction is serious and just right.

The movie has great writing and direction but I can't say enough about Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as J Edgar. It might be his best performance of his career and we are talking a wonderful career here. He could have made J Edgar a one dimensional, cold character but Leo makes us care for J Edgar when many people in his life didn't. He had his mother, his loyal secretary, played well by Naomi Watts, and Clyde and that was all. There are some heartbrweaking and beautiful scenes between DiCaprio and Armie Hammer as Clyde that are extremely well written and careful. Many actors could have tried to imitate J Edgar and make him a caricature but DiCaprio makes him a memorable and human character.

I have told you about how the movie portrays Hoover and his relationship with Clyde but I also found the movie fascinating with it's look at J Edgar's crime fighting. There is a compelling, well directed and written segment dealing with the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby. There is a great moment where Clyde calls Hoover out on his exaggeration of how he nabbed some legendary criminals. There is some interesting and sometimes funny scenes where Hoover talks about the files of Eleanor Roosevelt, Nixon and other important political figures and celebrities. The look of the movie is also just right and the music subtle and effective. The supporting acting is great by solid actors such as Judi Dench as J Edgar's mother and Josh Lucas as Lindbergh and as I mentioned before Armie Hammer and Naomi Watts.

J Edgar is not a person I would have really wanted to spend time with, he could sometimes be cold and difficult. Though what Eastwood, Dustin Lance Black and Leonardo DiCaprio have done is made J Edgar a character we care about and are fascinated with. This is a tough character to make us love and the depiction of Hoover and Tolson's relationship is powerful stuff and also one of the most honest depictions of love I have seen in a major Hollywood film release. "J Edgar" is one of the best movies of 2011 with one of the best performances of the last decade by Leonardo DiCaprio.

P.S. I would definitely see this movie again for Leo's performance but I will honestly admit that this would be a tough movie to fully embrace and watch again soon and others will feel the same way. I do think it is a movie worth revisiting and don't get me wrong I stand by my review. I do think this is a great movie.