J Edgar

I will admit to not being a fan of Clint Eastwood neither as an actor or director. I checked his filmography on Wikipedia and there are three films that I like that he has been involved in. However, that aside, I am interested in American history and J Edgar Hoover has certainly made his mark on American history.

The film is set in flashbacks as Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) dictates his story to a variety of junior agents in order to correct stories that are in the public domain and to provide the foundation of his autobiography.

The film centres on his time as Director of the FBI and the numerous battles he had with politicians, other law enforcement agencies and criminals. The film also looks at his relationships, in particular with his assistant Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), his PA Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) and his mother Anna Marie (Judi Dench).

The relationship with Tolson is the most interesting, but is never quite dealt with. It is clear that while there is a very close relationship between them, it remains chaste throughout Hoover's life as the great love of his life was his work.

There are many things wrong with this film, but I will start with a positive. Despite the clunky and limited script and the truly atrocious makeup in the later years, both DiCaprio and Hammer tried to make the best of a bad job. They tried to bring intelligence and weight to the roles, but it is difficult when you are dealing with a poor script and poor direction.

Now for the things that are wrong: The general storyline glosses over so many aspects of Hoover's time at the FBI. The fact that he was reluctant to investigate organised crime; the incidences of corruption that occurred under his leadership and his opposition to the civil rights movement.

There is some attempt to show Hoover in an unflattering light. For example the 'Personal Files' are mentioned and his eagerness to use wire-tapping are briefly discussed, but there is no real depth to this film. Much like the recent film about Margaret Thatcher The Iron Lady, the film focuses on someone in old age and doesn't go into any of the stories that made them the controversial figure that they are.

The film is far too long (almost two and a half hours) and has the pace of a snail. The makeup is truly awful and seriously impedes not only DiCaprio and Hammer's ability to act, but at times, their ability to even move.

Verdict: If there is any positive to be taken from this film, it is that it has made me interested in the story of J Edgar Hoover. Surely the point of the film was to tell me the story? Best avoid and find a decent biography of Hoover instead.