One of the key question marks in this year’s Oscar season, one conspicuously absent from our most anticipated post-fall film festival picks feature published this morning, is Clint Eastwood‘s “J. Edgar,” his decades-spanning drama about the controversial head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.
The project stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the titular subject, and while in most people’s minds Eastwood + DiCaprio = Oscars, that seems to be a rather superficial response. Almost everything made after 2004’s Best Picture-winning “Million Dollar Baby” has been either patchy (“Invictus“), uneven (“Flags Of Our Fathers“) a mild effort (“Gran Torino“) or downright dull (“Hereafter“) — this writer would submit that “Changeling” is his best work since then. Then again that period accounts for eleven Oscar nominations (“Letters from Iwo Jima” scoring four including Best Picture and Best Director nods), but only two wins (duel sound editing awards for his two WWII films). So, ok, we shouldn’t count out Eastwood, but we’re still looking to be won over.
So the trailer? Well, right now all that’s available is a bad bootleg from Access Hollywood so we won’t cast any judgement for now. Watch it for yourself below and once Apple or Yahoo have a real embed, we’ll switch things out. A proper embed is available for you to look at below.
“J. Edgar” is set to screen on November 9 in limited release and then quickly goes wide on November 11. The picture will make its debut at the AFI Film Festival just a few days prior on November 3. Written by “Milk” screenwriter Dustin Lance Black the intriguing ensemble cast includes, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Ed Westwick, Damon Herriman, Judi Dench, Ken Howard, Jeffrey Donovan and Stephen Root.
That opening narration made me shudder with douchechills. I love Leo, but what\’s with the Hollywood kool-aid that it\’s always a great look to star in a Clint Eastwood movie?
Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby (many would disagree with the latter) are his only movies from the past 12 years that aren\’t laughable in some way.
I know for a fact that it\’s an extreme pleasure to work with Clint and it\’s a pleasant experience for everyone on the set, but it doesn\’t seem like great work is coming out of that. Can\’t fault a person for wanting a nice work experience, but this guy won\’t be supporting it..
*opens huge bag of Doritos, continues watching internet porn*
Song is \”November\” by Max Richter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GHRftsdlVo
Hey William Forrester, do you think Leo will get an Oscar nom?
I think Leonardo will surely get a nomination for an Academy Award. I think he’ll get a Oscar nomination at least. He is incredible and he is amazing. And I think he will get it. It’s an incredible performance, just wonderful.
Gran Torino wasn\’t a mild effort it was a big pile of SUCK.
Gran Torino was a mild effort? My ass.
Bakunin, I do love a good (and accurate) rebuttal to typical snark. Looks like your detractor is the one stuck on net-prevalent Bill and Ted-speak (random! bogus! lame! epic!) and your definition is a little more in tune to Webster\’s.
@ Bakunin
1) I didn\’t even watch \”Robin Hood\” because I knew it\’d be terrible.
2) It\’s still not epic.
@KT, The film spans nearly 50 years of Hoover\’s memorable career involving some of the most notable criminal, political, social figures of modern U.S. history and that\’s not epic? Sorry if it\’s not some Ridley Scott movie with men in tights shooting arrows.
The music is taken I think from a theatrical production \”Black Watch\” about the Scottish Black Watch regiment – – – I\’m pretty sure it\’s used (very effectively) during the play\’s finale.
This trailer for the play uses the same arrangement of the music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPXXTFczsTI
Is it me or do all of Clint Eastwood\’s movies within the last decade or so look exactly the same?
This looks like every other biopic we\’ve had in the past 10 years. Polished, fine acting, historically sound, a good script; but ultimately lacking in heart, and originality. This will be a fine film, but art? It won\’t scratch the surface.
Also, I think that\’s the score to The Village, randomly.
Yeah, I don\’t think a negative reaction around here is from Transformers fans. Personally, I necessary understood DiCaprio taking the role, he\’ll Billy Crudup (who played Hoover in Public Enemies would have been better. Don\’t get me wrong, I\’m a big fan of DiCaprio, but from his very first line of dialog in this trailer I cringed at the voice he\’s putting on. The film itself looks very finely staged, but from the looks of it\’s the supporting cast, especially Armie Hammer that shines here.
@ Bakunin
How on God\’s green Earth does this look epic? Or maybe a more important question is why does that word now apply to everything?
\”Oh, shit that PB & J was EPIC!\” … Uh, no.
Been there, done that. Eastwood\’s last great movie was Mystic River, everything\’s been downhill since then. This doesn\’t look like it\’ll change the course.
Arnie Hammer will get a Supporting Oscar nom.
Handsomely produced but looks like Di Caprios miscasting + bad old aging makeup will be its undoing.
needs more channing tatum
Looks epic. Not surprised about some immediate negative responses, the average American long stopped reading history or books in general, most kids probably think \”Transformers\” is based on fact.
Um, that score is kinda of great. Have I heard it somewhere else before?
Well @JoeMatthews, there are hints of Hoover\’s homosexuality… so gay, it might be.
Is that a still image from The Aviator?
no and no
I too agree that Changeling has been his best effort in recent years but will go even further to say it is better than Million Dollar Baby….I guess I\’m just not a Clint fan except for Unforgiven of course.
This doesn\’t look like an Oscar-worthy effort from Leo. Or Clint. But cinematography looks good. I agree, Changeling despite running 20 mins. too long was his best recent effort.
Here you go:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/jedgar/
Looks lame… and kinda gay like Oliver Stone\’s Alexander.