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SALT LAKE CITY -- From 1935 to 1972, presidents gave him wide berth. His "G-Men" revered and feared him. Gangsters loathed him. And Leonardo DiCaprio, quite effectively, has brought one of the most unusual, controversial and powerful figures of the 20th Century to life in the new film "J. Edgar."
The many facets of J. Edgar Hoover make this role particularly challenging. While carefully crafting the image of being the protector of "truth, justice and the American way," Hoover regularly trampled those principles in pursuit of what he perceived to be the "greater good." His notorious private files, that kept even presidents at bay, included information that would have been his undoing had they fallen into the wrong hands.
Judi Dench stars as Edgar's mother who has a profound influence in her son's life and is aware of his demons. There is a troubling moment where Hoover's father is introduced, appearing to be totally out of his mind, but there is absolutely no development or explanation. This is a real flaw.
Next to his mother, Hoover only fully trusts two people -- his long-time secretary, Helen Gandy, and Clyde Tolson, Associate Director of the FBI. In real life, J. Edgar Hoover described Tolson as his "alter ego." Filmmakers and even some historians, however, portray him as a "life partner."
Watching the first FBI director maneuver through the six administrations he served was fascinating.
Armie Hammer stars as Tolson while Naomi Watts steps into the role of Helen and both are wonderful. Ultimately, it's Helen that Hoover counts on to dispose of his "special files" and it's Tolson who accepts the flag from his casket and inherits his estate.
Hoover is a somewhat unsympathetic, very complex character who had a profound influence on the United States and arguably the world for almost a half century.
So how do you pack all that into one film? It's not easy, especially when you try to deal with his humanity and the personal controversies that, in Hoover's lifetime, would have been the kiss of death.
Watching the first FBI director maneuver through the six administrations he served was fascinating. I can't imagine anyone other than DiCaprio tackling this role; his natural youthful appearance and some very gifted makeup artists have allowed him to admirably span Hoover's professional life.
As I walked out of the theater I couldn't help but think, "If J. Edgar Hoover was still alive, he would have pulled files on everyone and killed this film."
Three stars for "J. Edgar" and it's rated R.
