Movie of the Week: J. Edgar

Clint Eastwood's latest project "J. Edgar" is another delve into the world of a rather unlikeable protagonist who's accomplishment as the first Director of the FBI  is overshadowed by his dark inner life. As the title implies, this movie primarily focused on the title character John Edgar Hoover and those around him who influenced him most. Spanning decades, the film asked its audience to keep up as it jumped back and fourth, from president to president whilst trying to grasp an understanding the of this scared, hardened man. It was clear that he was brilliant yet also constantly at war with himself; paranoid and soft, confident and hard. As a result, the audience too was conflicted, not quite sure what to make of him. Captivating to watch, that uncertainty the audience experiences is a testament to how brilliantly Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed him. 

Throughout most of the film, J. Edgar is trying to dictate his memoir in order to protect his legacy. However,  he struggles with his own fears and insecurities so much that he lies to himself and, in doings so, to his audience. Behind every monster is a even more monstrous mother. In this case that role was filled devilishly by the incredible Dame Judi Dench. Her demeanor actually caused chills up my spine. In what I will venture to say might be her Oscar Nomination scene, where she all but tells DiCaprio's character that she would rather he be dead than gay, I felt as though I myself had been stung. Ruthless doesn't even begin to describe her. Dench really didn't have that much screen time but she left a lasting impression on me through the rest of the movie and well after I left the theater.

For the remaining actors, the time element was not as kind. While DiCaprio and Dench took this challenge on effortlessly, others struggled - namely Naomi Watts and Armie Hammer. Watts, who played J. Edgar's faithful secretary and confidant Helen Gandy, was rather forgettable other that a brief moment she shared with DiCaprio in which you could see in her eyes that they truly understood each other. Her wordless assurance of loyalty was a sweet, touching moment that was well earned. On the other hand Hammer, who played Clyde Tolson - J. Edgar's partner in both his public and private life, tried almost too hard to seem "aged" and his horrific make-up job only made matters worse. The fact that his face did not move was distracting  in itself. The only scene that landed in the right spot for me was one of his last, an emotional dinner scene between him and DiCaprio where they finally found common ground. Other than that, the there was no difference between Hammer's portrayal of his heathy, older self and that of post-stroke his besides his labored speech. In his "early" scenes however, he was charming, smart, and endearing - everything DiCaprio's character was not.

The juxtaposition between J. Edgar and Clyde was really fascinating to watch, with the actors doing a superb job of carving out and settling into their socially unaccepted relationship. Even as an outsider looking in, you could see and feel that their mutual attraction was so doomed yet completely honest. It was as if the characters danced around each other in different rhythms. It was sad and sweet, especially in my favorite scene where Clyde acknowledgement of his feelings comes as a result of J. Edgar's dismissiveness. This escalates into an impassioned brawl with both characters doing more emotional damage than physical. It is powerful with it's aftermath lingering over the remainder of the movie.

Overall, I appreciated the performances in "J. Edgar" over the movie as a whole. I thought the film was well written by Dustin Lance Black ("Milk") and very well directed. I will not be surprised if both Eastwood and Black get Oscar nods, and I can see a Best Picture nod as well. Looking at this performance in comparison to all those in DiCaprio's career thus far, I personally feel that "The Aviator" was his best. He was Howard Hughes. "J. Edgar" will be a highlight, not the highlight. That being said, I still think the Academy Award for Best Actor remains his to lose.