For the most part, Hollywood has a tendency to romanticize historical figures when putting out biopics such as J. Edgar. But with Clint Eastwood directing a screenplay by Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, this movie doesn’t hesitate to show both the noble accomplishments as well as the darker secrets of controversial American hero J. Edgar Hoover.

Regardless of how much you know about Hoover going into the film, one thing that is pretty accepted about him is that he was neither charming nor particularly handsome. So the casting of Leonardo DiCarpio in the lead role is a bit questionable at first. But in much the same way Charlize Theron did in 2003’s Monster, Leondardo DiCaprio provides a powerfully convincing portrayal of a man who was as guarded as he was determined, thanks in large part to heavy prosthetics, makeup and dark brown contact lenses. Physical attributes aside, DiCaprio seems to adequately capture the inner conflict and frustrations of Hoover, both in his prime and later in his life.

Because of the rapid flip-flopping between Hoover’s earlier and latter life, J. Edgar can be a bit hard to follow at times. But for those able to keep up, it is a revealing look at the life of the man who created the Federal Bureau of Investigation and revolutionized the way crime investigations are done by implementing (despite a good deal of resistance) things like forensic science into the process. But for every good deed it commends, J. Edgar touches on just as many perceived flaws in Hoover’s characters.

Sure, he was instrumental in solving some of the biggest crimes of his time and revealing numerous scandals. He was the director of the FBI for almost 50 years and served through eight different presidencies. But he was also sometimes delusional, abused his power to get his way, blackmailed political foes and harbored numerous secrets, personally and professionally. Hoover (according to the film) was also an incredibly insecure man who had an almost Norman Bates-like relationship with his overbearing and judgmental mother (Judi Dench).

J. Edgar also touches on subjects such as Hoover’s widely speculated homosexuality, namely with his hiring of and long term relationship with Clyde Tolson (The Social Network‘s Armie Hammer) and other rumored behaviors. DiCaprio and the rest of the impressive cast (including Naomi Watts as Hoover’s secretary Helen Gandy) do a phenomenal job of telling the many stories that made up Hoover’s personal and professional lives. There’s no questioning the abilities of anyone involved with this film, but it’s always difficult to fully tell a story about someone as seemingly complicated and controversial as Hoover. And even if it just scratches the surface of what all went into making the man who was arguably the most powerful person in the country for most of his career, J. Edgar succeeds at providing an entertaining and balanced look at the life of someone who radically changed American crime fighting and politics forever.

J. Edgar. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Namoi Watts and Judi Dench. Rated R. www.jedgarmovie.warnerbros.com.

Review by Jonathan Williams