J. Edgar

Eastwood’s idiosyncratic depiction of the life of one of the most powerful men of last century. Clear values and clear rules. Both Clint and Edgar stick to firmly traced course of the character development of a proper leading figure, just to get unstuck at the end. The acting performances are wonderful, mainly the could-be old age pensioner Armie Hammer excels and DiCaprio improves the quality of his acting even further. Certain stages in their lives could maybe have been developed better, I mean Dillinger only gets a couple of mentions, but this is a very decent picture. The scene in the Library of Congress library works particularly well. A perfect promotional video for catalog cards. Information is power. (16/02/2012)

An unpleasant disappointment that Clint had in store for me. I refuse to accuse him of any old-age senility, but even his firm personal style is mired in a dramaturgically-muddled film that only knows what it wants when it touches on a more historically significant event with which Hoover was associated. The rest of the film - though I wasn't expecting some cheap tabloid controversy where he wants to look under the FBI director's skin - is languid and dull, like the old-man mask that underlines the deadness of the actors' performances, and is the perfect repellent to the audience's empathy. God knows why it's as much of a fail for me as Scorsese's Shutter Island was. (16/02/2012)

I don't consider J. Edgar to be the worst Eastwood film, but to make such a below-average spectacle from such an amazing concept and with such an amazing cast is deserving of a few slaps. And when I consider the difference between the result and the ambitions, unfortunately from my point of view, it is Eastwood's biggest directorial failure. Eastwood disappointed me as a storyteller, his direction lacks ideas, and the script is also no masterpiece. When I compare J. Edgar to Il Divo by Paolo Sorrentino, Eastwood embarrassingly fails in the field of biographical films. Maybe it could work as a TV movie, but not as a great story about a great legend of American politics and criminology and the founder of one of the most famous institutions in the USA. Overall impression: 40%. (05/05/2015)

Clint Eastwood decided to make a film about one of the world's most controversial and interesting criminologists and thought he would make a cold, almost emotionless film. It's a shame because, from the beginning, the viewer struggles to be drawn into the plot. The emotions come into the film only in the second half, and I'm not sure if it wasn't a bit too late by then. Most characters in the film have minimal presence, making it essentially impossible to develop any connection with them. But Leo convinced me that he could handle any role. He doesn't stand out so much here, but the film certainly doesn't fall flat because of it; rather, it's the dull, sterile approach that holds it back. (15/04/2014)

J.Edgar is a good piece that revels in the authenticity of all spectators. Leonardo DiCaprio, on the other hand, is at the peak of the current acting elite, because he portrayed John Edgar so perfectly that for a moment you will wonder if Leo is just pretending or if the FBI founder acted that way in reality. However, the biggest problem with this movie is the fact that it is a quite specific choice for a movie night. It is difficult to watch and you need to pay attention to every scene in order to understand the subsequent development. However, this can be quite challenging in some respects, because the film can sometimes be very boring. And most importantly, J. Edgar Hoover is a character that definitely won't appeal to everyone. His determination sometimes turns him into a good monster and you need to be prepared for that. The film, however, doesn't try to please everyone and that is admirable. Clint Eastwood did a great job with the most precise portrayal of the FBI's origin and the biographical storytelling of the man behind the scenes, in my opinion. Interestingly, I was quite surprised that a Czech living in America was involved in the selection of locations for this film. So let him keep up the good work there. (09/04/2012)