‘J. Edgar’ – Not Eastwood’s best, but still outstanding..

As flawed human beings, our very emotional make-up is about being remembered. For some, it is as simple as wanting people to remember us as a ‘nice guy’ or ‘a beautiful woman’. For others, it is about the legacy they want to leave, it is about the adoration and for those of us doing the actual remembering; it is about all of the shades of grey in the middle.

Clint Eastwood’s latest directorial effort, ‘J. Edgar’, is a study of not only the man that J. Edgar Hoover was, but of the shades of grey in the middle. Even filmed with dusky grey colors, Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio (as Hoover) delve deeply into the background and forces that shaped Hoover’s path through life. From a controlling mother, played with exquisite grace by Judi Dench, to a time in our history that shaped not only our lives but our very thoughts and perceptions; we begin to see that Hoover was a deeply conflicted man.

Eastwood commands the film with his usual confident grace. While not as emotionally charged as his previous films, this semi-biopic is fairly straight forward and somewhat cold (for an Eastwood film). While some may argue that it has caused it to be a weaker Eastwood film, I would argue that it’s clinical look and style adds to the voyeuristic feel. DiCaprio is fantastic as the young Hoover and equally fantastic as the older megalomaniac Hoover, even under the age inducing prosthetics. DiCaprio is growing into a solid actor, one that can be counted on to deliver worthy performances, his choices of working with the likes of Eastwood and Scorsese has also added to his growing pedigree.

Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black does a wonderful job taking us through the life of Hoover. This was the man the not only created the FBI, but created the art of finger printing and bought together the first forensic science laboratory.  He was a stumbling nerd who was given great power as a young man, who used that power to not only save a nation but to also to use that power to intimidate to get what he wanted. This is a man who sat through more presidents than any other living appointed official, going to each meeting with a file, knowing full well the next president would give him what he needed.

Perhaps the biggest secret though was his relationship with his right hand man Clyde (Armie Hammer); it is that relationship that causes some of the most conflicting moments in the film as well as some of the most touching. We know (and knew) that J. Edgar Hoover lived his life a lie, he spread lies (when he needed to) and was desperate to stop liars. He was a powerful man who was extremely troubled, with a power that seemed to run unchecked until his death.

If you are looking for the secrets that Hoover held in this film; you will not find them here. Eastwood is smart in keep the secrets to the shadows, instead focusing on the man as well as the performances of DiCaprio, Hammer and Dench. Running over 2 hours in length, the performances are so captivating that you rarely realize the minutes clicking by. While this is not the best Eastwood film, it certainly is a 3 ½ star effort from a director who has the courage to show us that it is not how you are remembered, but how you choose to be remembered.

‘Hereafter’– Intriguing and insightful, just a bit too slow…

Have you ever taken a long road trip before? We recently went down to Carbondale to visit my son at SIU; the trip was over 6 hours (because of construction along the way) – sitting in the same spot/position; by the time we emerged from the car our butts were screaming for relief. But once we got there – the campus was beautiful and we were happy to see our son. ‘Hereafter’ is a bit like that – a long journey to get to the inevitable fulfilling destination.

‘Hereafter’ is a thought provoking film that takes far too long to get to the destination. Clint Eastwood, who has become a master filmmaker, delivers a very deep as well as deliberate film that will take every bit of patience you have to get to the reward. This is a film lovers film; one that is meant to appeal to your mind as well as your visual sense. If you are a ‘Jack Ass 3D’ fan, you would do yourself a favor and avoid this film.

Spanning three countries, ‘Hereafter’ brings together three characters that are united in the common form of death. Marie LeLay (Cecile de France) is saved from the clutches of death after a devastating Tsunami. Marcus (Frankie and George McLaren), a young British boy, has his identical twin brother ripped from his life when the boy is killed in a car accident and American George Logan (Matt Damon) is the gifted psychic who can actually speak to the dead. Gifted and tortured as the ability has left him unable to communicate successfully with the living; “This is not a gift”, he tells his brother, “This is a curse.”

Marie’s professional life as a TV News Magazine reporter (the French version of 60 Minutes), begins to unravel after she becomes obsessed with her near death experience. She starts to author a novel on the hereafter, something her superiors would rather she forget. George’s ‘gift’ or ‘curse’ centers around touch – when he touches anyone, he is immediately connected to the hereafter and those that have passed on closest to the individual he is touching. This creates a barrier to any intimate relationship he could hope to have, as illustrated in his failed attempt at romance with Melanie (Bryce Dallas Howard). But it is young Marcus that endures the worst pain as his twin brother is tragically killed and Marcus is left to care for a heroin addicted mother.

All three lives are destined to intersect – we know that and can assume that, yet Eastwood still carries us through the detail of their journeys. Not as much attention is paid to George as I would have liked – his story was the most intriguing and by the end we are left to ponder more than we are fulfilled. But perhaps that is the intention of the story, to allow us to ponder, to question the roads that we take or have yet to take. As always Eastwood provides a cinematic treat for the eyes and the mind. Matt Damon is strong as the leading man and continues to prove that he is a high caliber actor worthy of praise. This is his second film with Eastwood and I can only hope that he has more in his future, they team up well.

This is a 3 ½ star journey worth the effort and indulgence.
My Redbox pick centers around Matt Damon this week. ‘The Informant’ teams up Damon with another winning director, Steven Soderberg, in a film about a corporate whistle blower in a very true and very funny story. Damon is fantastic in this film and this 4 star effort is an eye opener to the corporate lies and cover-ups that happen often.