Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Leonardo Dicaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 137 minutes
Film Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
I know that all film critics are complete suckers for Clint Eastwood but I am really not. I feel that his films only are catered at a specific audience. Don’t get me wrong “J. Edgar” is very well directed like his past attempts behind the camera. But I have never been a fan of any of his past films to date “Mystic River”, “Million Dollar Baby”, “Flags of our Fathers” and “Gran Torino”. In fact I neglected to even watch the later two on that list. Leonardo Dicaprio needs to get some serious props though because the kid does give a great performance, like always. I think they should give him an Oscar already and get it over with. I mean this guy needs to star in a slap stick comedy already and let loose.
The film which focuses on the life of J. Edgar Hoover, is a fairly interesting biography. The film lacks though any major draw to bring in a real audience. One of the film’s problems is the “old” make-up on Dicaprio, it is extremely laughable and takes away from the seriousness of the film. I am not sure who gave the approval and though it looked good but they need to invest in some glasses. I also feel that the film runs quick long at almost two hours and 20 minutes. I wouldn’t completely discourage you from checking this film out though, if not just for the acting and Eastwood’s directing (if you like his other films).
The Blu-ray presentation is quite impressive, boasting a sharp video picture and a well tuned DTS-HD Master Audio track. The release includes a Blu-ray, DVD and a UltraViolet Digital Copy. The special features on the other hands are disappointing much like the film. The only extra on the Blu-ray is called “J Edgar: The Most Powerful Man in the World”, which is a featurette about the man and the film behind the man. On the DVD, there is another feature called “J. Edgar- A Complicated Man”, which goes into more background of the controversial FBI director.
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Synopsis:
Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, Blood Diamond) stars as J. Edgar Hoover, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for nearly 50 years. Hoover was feared, admired, reviled and revered, a man who could distort the truth as easily as he upheld it. His methods were at once ruthless and heroic, with the admiration of the world his most coveted prize. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. Oscar Winner Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven) directs an all-star cast including Naomi Watts (21 Grams), Armie Hammer (The Social Network) and Oscar Winner Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love) as Hoover’s overprotective mother.
