I am a massive fan of Mr DiCaprio. So much so that I am very biased towards his work and i will see a film he is in even if I am only slightly interested in the premise of the story. J. Edgar was one of these stories. I thought with Eastwood directing DiCaprio could only produce brilliance but then I looked back at his last film, Hereafter, and thought perhaps it could be a car crash.
The reviews for it weren't great but we decided to go see it anyway as it was starring that man Leo, but other than him the film is dull and plods. The first 45 minutes is boring, the middle half hour is a little more intriguing with the introduction of Armie Hammer, and the ending just drags on and on until it finally ends. I was hoping for something pretty good with Eastwood and DiCaprio but just like Hereafter I was fairly disappointed.
The acting is solid that is fair to say, but there isn't much story other than him dictating his memoirs and we keep flashing back in time with him. It was The Iron Lady all over again, a film that didn't really work as it kept jumping back and forth in time and glossed over any pivotal decisions the powerful figures made.
I preferred this to The Iron Lady, but my girlfriend did not. In fact she even fell asleep half way through. Not good for a movie that is putting its viewers to sleep. I have to say I was utterly disappointed with Eastwood yet again. I will not be rushing out to see his films again. I will do DiCaprio though as he works well with what he is given and I also think Armie Hammer is very good as his partner/lover/friend, whatever you want to call him.
It's a shame to say it but other than a couple of decent performances, this is a film best avoided.
Pros: DiCaprio still maintaining his great acting skills under layers of prosthetic, despite them looking a little plastic.
Cons: The story in general, and the final five minutes where we here the same piece of typical, cheesy, Eastwood-esque music that drove me out my mind.
4.5 / 10
2012 so far:
1. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol 7 / 10
2. J. Edgar 4.5 / 10
3. The Iron Lady 4.5 / 10
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