Obsessions are cruel masters of the first order. Either it develops from a harmless itch into a mature cancer or attaches to a host like an unbreakable parasite. I am obsessed with the most inconsequential human issues. Book spine creases irritate me. Crooked margins frustrate me. Uncategorized Facebook postings kill me. Life is chaotic and it needs order. That simple. Because one crease or one crooked line can break the promise of a better and organized life. I am obsessed with the most inconsequential human issues including the dreadful make-up of Leonardo Di Caprio in J. Edgar Hoover.
Serving eight presidents as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is an unparalleled herculean feat. Edgar did it. Uninterrupted. More often than not, his foresight, organizational abilities and willingness to use information for or against certain individuals pulled him through from one administration to another. The smallest detail does not escape him. He made sure of it. Something the filmmakers could emulate next time so as not to repeat the same mistake in the make-up department because it is such a distraction. Edgar led a controversial life made for a biopic. Di Caprio is a most capable actor in need of recognition. Clint Eastwood is a talented director and not to mention, an Oscar catnip. These three forces in a single project are nothing short of a spectacle. Then as the camera focuses on the hardening foundation and artificial age spots, I break into chortles and a couple of disappointed head shakes.
J. Edgar Hoover chronicles the life of the longest-serving Bureau director in record. As a young man, witnessed the (1) threat of communism when his supervisor in the Justice Department became a bomb target of the dissidents. His faith in scientific investigation is apparent as he gathered the pamphlets left in the crime scene that for some reason, the police force never bothered to collect for future references. After the threat of communism has been resolved, a new menace is terrorizing the nation, (2) bank robbers. However, unlike the commies, the general public has a romanticized view of the criminals, even admiration. Edgar, now the FBI director, stepped in to contain the rising nuisance. But it is not just hardened criminals he clashed with as he also took on icons and presidents, including (3) Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor (4) John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert and (5) Martin Luther King Jr. Armed with letters, tape recordings and a host of damaging information; he fought for the continued existence of the Bureau. In the process, his power increased as the jurisdiction of his office broadened. One particular celebrated case assisted in its ascent, (6) the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh Jr. No other man came close to the iconic status Charles Lindbergh achieved in the first half of the century after his successful transatlantic flight. Thus, it became a national heartbreak when his son was kidnapped in his bedroom. The Bureau stepped into the case with a more scientific plan to reach a proper solution compared to the local police force. Their investigation led to a carpenter named Bernard Hauptman who up until his conviction never denied or confirm if he was working alone. The success of the Bureau is not left unrewarded, as the Congress permitted them to arrest, bear arms and more significantly, kidnapping became a federal offense. Of course, a considerable budget to maintain the technical laboratories Edgar fought for was also considered.
He supervised the Bureau with a group of college-educated loyal agents, not to mention, with impeccable sartorial sense. His most-trusted lieutenants are his secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) whom he once proposed to but got turned down and his number two man, Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) whom he was rumored to have a relationship with. The film did not shy away from the contentious issue of his sexual preference. We see them dine out in their preferred corner; hold hands inside a car after a movie screening; take time out to see horse races; and care for one another during the sunset of their lives. A relationship, his mother Anne Marie (Judi Dench) would have disapproved because she does not welcome the idea of a daffodil son. Di Caprio is fortunate to receive competent support from such fine actors.
Cliché, but Edgar is one man ahead of his time. Long before it became clear to most of us, he understood the importance of information and the usefulness of modern science in criminal investigation. But he, whose idea of a perfect date is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the card catalogue system he helped create in the Library of Congress knew this. The shrewd Bureau Director who carries files containing classified information of the presidents, their first ladies and their mistresses knew this. And, if the homosexual allegations are indeed true, Edgar recognizes the power of information because he himself is defenseless if his secret is disclosed.
No doubt, the subject matter is fascinating and the individuals involved in the film are capable of fine performances. But I do have an issue with the narration because it would have been more enthralling had it focus on 1) the modernization of the Bureau and 2) the Charles Lindbergh Jr., case because these seem interconnected after all. I am not a fan of a full-on biopic because I think focusing on a significant episode in one’s life portends focused narration, better character development and elude the pitfalls of horrible make-up. The last one is just too bothersome. This had me thinking if it would have been better if another set of actors took upon the roles in their elder stage. Looking at Di Caprio plastered with a foundation, additional weight and THAT wig, come on, he looks like Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Shouldn’t it be better if it was Hoffman? For the part of Naomi Watts, I guess, Annette Benning will be perfect. Then for Armie Hammer, hmmm…Michael Fassbender? No. Not old enough. James Cromwell. There.
RATING: B
