That vibration you're feeling on the ground, that telltale rippling disturbance in your glass, is the clomping arrival of one of 2011's (presumed) Oscar behemoths, Clint Eastwood's biopic of FBI man J Edgar Hoover called J Edgar [official site].
Don't wilt like a little flower. Be strong."
Which means we have to get down to our yes, no, maybe so breakdown of things that make us want to buy a ticket, run away screaming, or mull it over before committing. As a founding member of the oft reviled and totally misunderstood* 'Clint Eastwood is Overrated Club' I realize my breakdown will already be broken for some. But I do approach each trailer with as open a mind as I can muster given my general leanings. In this case everyone knows (and I'd never deny) that I vew cradle-to-grave biopics as the mustiest of all film genres; they aren't inherently cinematic with their staccato 'greatest hits' survey of life since movies are always strongest when they capture something seismic in miniature about a character, story, time, or theme that suggests rather than illustrates a major life beyond two hours.
YES
Is that legal?"
- Ummm... welll... oh, okay. Got one. The font of the logo is excellent with those flamboyant J and G curls in the otherwise Serious Man signature.
- Like everyone else I'm curious to see how well the actors handle the "alleged gays" material.
- Maybe Armie Hammer has a lightness of tone that will help it. Though he looks vaguely brainless when he puppy smiles directly at Mr. Hoover, the "is that legal?" line has hints of mischief and love of life.
- The shot of the John Dillinger death mask reminds us that plot point, already cinematized on its own, has plenty of juice should they squeeze.
The trailer in question and more commentary after the jump
NO
It's time this generation learned the difference between a hero and a villain."
- It's time this filmmaking team learned the difference between color and black and white. I think one of the reasons that Letters From Iwo Jima worked was that it leaned enough towards being an actual black and white film and that's what Eastwood and his DP Tom Stern always seem to want to make. Why must all the movies have the same somber drained-of-color palette with the same heavy chiaroscuro lighting? These movies they make have different characters and different themes. Why are the visual choices so matchy-matchy? Argh! The most colorful thing in the whole trailer is ...a door... behind J. Edgar!
- The opening narration "When morals decline" "evil flourishes" "doomed" "never lower our guard" ...it's like cement pouring until you totally buried in its oppressive bromides.
- It also has the unfortunate affect of reminding us that Leonardo DiCaprio's voice has never been his most valuable instrument as an actor.
- The last thing Leo needed was another glum brow-furrowing role.
- Little boy scenes preordaining the rest of the movie, plate smashing domestic strife, deathbed scenes, old age makeup sadness scenes, Nooooo; It's like Cliches R Us up in here.
- There's not one moment in the trailer that doesn't' feel like an FYC ad.
- Judi Dench could probably act this role in her sleep. Won't someone challenge her again with something like a Notes on a Scandal?
MAYBE SO
He most so conduct himself as to eliminate even the slightest possibility of his criticism as to his conduct."
- Maybe just maybe... the team's old fashioned discomfort with the alleged homosexuality (at least it seems that way in early press statements where even Leo seemed unsure... um, doesn't he need to make a choice about that as an actor?) will result in a inspired stiffness of character or an inspired statement about oppressive / opressed people?
- Maybe the mother/son angle... "don't wilt like a little flower" sill have interesting beats? (That one line made me involuntarily think of Roy Cohn's Mama bit in his deathbed in Angels in America... God, what a scene that was.)
- Maybe someone will be Oscar worthy instead of Oscar bound?
Related: Oscar Predictions
I am less interested after seeing the trailer which I was not at all expecting. I thought I might enjoy the period feel or see interesting performance beats or something. Maybe you'll feel differently? You'll tell me either way in the comments, won't you, where you fall with the Yes, No, Maybe So?
*Calling someone "Overrated" should never be interpreted as "they're not talented". Overrated, an admittedly too generic and lazy term that we should all stop using (sorry), merely suggests a disconnect between proportions of praise to the talent in question.