As for the murky world of American power, Eastwood weaves the personal anguish and paranoia of his protagonist with his completely effective wielding of influence and power. In this one particular instance, J Edgar resembles the Eastwood hero most: he will use any method, any means to expose the dirty hands of others. But in the end we are left unimpressed and in fact disgusted, not by J Edgar’s personal needs in which we in fact find sympathy, but by his abuse of trust, used to denigrate unsuspecting individuals and entire groups of people. Eastwood’s camera leaves us ultimately cool to his portrayal because we are so accustomed to cheering his protagonist on even though we do so quietly. In this instance, his film is so effective in demystifying the Hoover legacy, we are left numbed by how ultimately this cynical and needy man was the law in America and controlled some of the greatest leaders of our time. Discomforting but a very worthwhile trip to the cinema.

A Romano