J. Edgar

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Year:	2011
Country of origin:	USA
Director:	Clint Eastwood
Genre:	Political biopic
Starring:	Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer
Rating:	4/5
IMDB link:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1616195/
Tagline:	The Most Powerful Man in the World
Favourite line:	"Lower the treble, son, you didn't call this meeting, I did."

On the face of it, a biopic about J. Edgar Hoover seems about as appealing as smearing beef paste on your balls then lying, spread-eagled, before a hungry hyena.
But this is a Clint movie, so prejudgements must be tempered.

The plot:
J. Edgar Hoover, the man who brought the world the concept of modern policing through his directorship of the FBI - fingerprints used to catch villains, crime scene evidence treated with respect and collected rigorously, forensics employed to build criminal cases - was a troubled sort.
To the world, he appeared a brash, self-confident man, albeit one with the odd nervous tic but, behind closed doors, secrets permeated that would have been his ruin; the very odd relationship with his mother, his OCD tendencies and, most importantly, the unconsummated romance with his closest male friend.
The movie plays out the pivotal events of his life, from fledgling law enforcement employee, through his prolonged stint as head of the FBI, right through to the final moment of his death.

And very interesting it all is, too.
DiCaprio, as Hoover, is a study in ‘mannerism’ acting, be it the voice, the way he holds his lips or the tics and twitches that blight him. From the bad old days of Titanic, I think it’s fair to say DiCaprio has come a very long way indeed, and is now a destination actor down here at Smell the Cult HQ: with his name attached to a movie, we are almost certain to watch it.
Eastwood’s trademark laconic approach to direction is in evidence. Apparently, he uses no more than three takes before moving onto the next scene, which gives his movies that lazy feel that is so remarkable, but occasionally means a slipshod sequence or two slips through, but that’s not the case here.
Politically intriguing, with rock solid performances, the tale of a fascinating time in America’s history is well realised, save for the rather ludicrous ageing makeup which, frankly, looks bloody preposterous in places, particularly Armie Hammer as Clyde, Hoover’s ‘close friend.’
Speaking of friendship, special mention must be made of that unconsummated love affair between the two men, for it is just about as touching a relationship as you are likely to see anytime soon.
Truly, brought a lump to the throat.
An efficient piece, then, but hardly Eastwood’s most important work of recent times.
Solid.