Is it just me or is there anyone out there who believes that Clint Eastwood has seemingly gone low on his Clint in a manner of speaking? I was one of the few people who thought that Invictus wasn’t really upto the Clint Eastwood mark that kept going up till The Changeling. Hereafter was a notch lower than Invictus and now we have J Edgar which can be at best called out as being at par with Hereafter. Don’t get me wrong here. I love Clint Eastwood. I am just a wee bit disappointed because the intensity and class that we seem to have gotten used to in slowly fading. I think he should also take a cue from the Academy because both Hereafter and J Edgar have been given a cold shoulder of sorts.
Like any biopic would be, J Edgar is centered around the life and times of the longest standing director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – J Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio). It brings to the fore a very well written story of a man who was not so popular during his days as the Director. Someone who every single president tried their best to oust but with little or no success – because J E knew everything that was worth knowing and not worth knowing about the most powerful men in the world. It shows how he quickly works his way to being the director of the bureau even before he turns 30. How he goes about pushing the use of technology to make the bureau as fool proof as possible. His fights with the government to give the bureau its proper place in the sun which he strongly believes it deserves. His gay romance with close friend Tolson (Armie Hammer) and attempted romance with his secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts). And even why he was called “Speedy” as a kid.
I guess what adds to Clint Eastwood losing his sheen as a director is Leo DiCaprio getting into character roles that are beginning to stereotype him and probably get people to believe that even personally he has becaome like his characters. His performance as JE wasn’t too different from his portrayal of Howard Hughes in The Aviator. Gets the audience also thinking as to whether there has been a genuine attempt or not. Both Watts and Hammer were good but not great in any ways. And I am honestly not qualified enough in any manner to comment about Dame Judi Dench’s acting capabilities. Stunning – yet again!!! Oh the woman never ceases to amaze me.
The other departments are quite good. Like Make up for example - by Alessandro Bertolazzi for Watts & Sian Grigg for DiCaprio were worth mentioning but I guess not good enough for the Academy. Check out the photograph of the real JE in the link below http://content9.flixster.com/photo/12/98/51/12985179_ori.jpg and make up your minds for yourself I guess. But even here, Tolson’s make up was a tad over done.
J Edgar is a very slow movie and will take a lot of patience from your end. But Clint Eastwood has never made fast paced movies. Not great by Clint Eastwood standards but way ahead of the curve with respect to some of the crap that we see these days. 7 on 10. Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1849990169/
Like any biopic would be, J Edgar is centered around the life and times of the longest standing director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – J Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio). It brings to the fore a very well written story of a man who was not so popular during his days as the Director. Someone who every single president tried their best to oust but with little or no success – because J E knew everything that was worth knowing and not worth knowing about the most powerful men in the world. It shows how he quickly works his way to being the director of the bureau even before he turns 30. How he goes about pushing the use of technology to make the bureau as fool proof as possible. His fights with the government to give the bureau its proper place in the sun which he strongly believes it deserves. His gay romance with close friend Tolson (Armie Hammer) and attempted romance with his secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts). And even why he was called “Speedy” as a kid.
I guess what adds to Clint Eastwood losing his sheen as a director is Leo DiCaprio getting into character roles that are beginning to stereotype him and probably get people to believe that even personally he has becaome like his characters. His performance as JE wasn’t too different from his portrayal of Howard Hughes in The Aviator. Gets the audience also thinking as to whether there has been a genuine attempt or not. Both Watts and Hammer were good but not great in any ways. And I am honestly not qualified enough in any manner to comment about Dame Judi Dench’s acting capabilities. Stunning – yet again!!! Oh the woman never ceases to amaze me.
The other departments are quite good. Like Make up for example - by Alessandro Bertolazzi for Watts & Sian Grigg for DiCaprio were worth mentioning but I guess not good enough for the Academy. Check out the photograph of the real JE in the link below http://content9.flixster.com/photo/12/98/51/12985179_ori.jpg and make up your minds for yourself I guess. But even here, Tolson’s make up was a tad over done.
J Edgar is a very slow movie and will take a lot of patience from your end. But Clint Eastwood has never made fast paced movies. Not great by Clint Eastwood standards but way ahead of the curve with respect to some of the crap that we see these days. 7 on 10. Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1849990169/
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