J. Edgar

****
Dir. Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood's latest film is a stirring and controversial depiction of former F.B.I. director John Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio), and one of the better dramas of the year.

Chronicling everything from the beginning of Hoover's career to his final days, the film focuses particularly on the relationship between him and his partner Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). Regardless of whether or not they had a romance, history proves that Hoover had a very mysterious personal life, and Eastwood makes use of this in order to drive the story. For me, the most compelling aspect of Dustin Lance Black's script were the scenes between Hoover and his over-bearing mother Annie (Judi Dench). She says at one point, "I would rather have a dead son than a daffodil for a son". Moments like these illustrate the risqué portrayal of these historical figures.

A major highlight of the film was the manner in which the make-up designers aged DiCaprio, which was worthy of comparison to that of Orson Welles in Citizen Kane. Furthermore, the Hollywood icon's performance was his best yet. I was never crazy about the actor, but he demonstrated genuine artistic work in this picture. His best works are this, The Departed, Blood Diamond, and Inception. The supporting cast was equally effective. Hammer gave Clyde's character a good amount of depth, enhanced by the manner in which he and DiCaprio worked together. Then Dench is virtually flawless, mastering the cold-hearted persona of Annie Hoover in a provocative way.

It's clear that Eastwood didn't think highly of this man, but the film focuses more on the public image of him rather than his personal views. This enhances the dramatic components, and makes it much more interesting. There's as much emphasis on Hoover's political career as there is on his personal life. It's this that provides the story with depth, and opens room for interpretation. Like Eastwood's other films, there's artistic production value; and everything from costumes and sets to lighting and cinematography are superb.

There are few other films bold enough to portray a historical figure that's considered both a hero and tyrant, and capture the significance of his life so effectively. This is one of the year's best.