Rotten
The Hoover material is ugly and very American, and it might have made an authentic monster story. But the picture offered is muddled, cautious, and at cross purposes.
David Thomson, The New Republic
J. Edgar
The most powerful man in the world.
2011 · 2h 17m · R
Crime, Drama, History
Directed by
Clint Eastwood
Overview
As the face of law enforcement in the United States for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career, and his life.
Director and cast
- Clint Eastwood Director
- Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover
- Geoff Pierson as Mitchell Palmer
- Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy
- Josh Hamilton as Robert Irwin
- Judi Dench as Anna Marie Hoover
- Gunner Wright as Dwight Eisenhower
- Kaitlyn Dever as Palmer's Daughter
- Adam Driver as Walter Lyle
- Armie Hammer as Clyde Tolson
- Ed Westwick as Agent Smith
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Fresh
A pleasing, intelligent film happy to describe Hoover's behaviour as monstrous but too balanced and searching to damn him as a monster.
Dave Calhoun, Time Out
Rotten
Somehow J. Edgar manages to be both epic and empty.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Rotten
Usually the tautest of directors, Clint Eastwood has gone all slack here, allowing his subject to get completely away from him.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Rotten
Although Hoover's luster faded as his career went on, Eastwood's movie seems wan from the start.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
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