Leonardo DiCaprio delivers career-best portrayal

DICAPRIO. Unusual thespic daring.

FIRST things first: I’ve finally watched Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar” and can categorically state that the US Film Academy member-voters recently did the title-role player an injustice when they chose not to include him among their Best Actor nominees for his portrayal of FBI head, J. Edgar Hoover.

In fact, Dicaprio’s depiction of Hoover should be hailed as his career best, so uncompromising and savagely perceptive is it of Hoover’s many character flaws—and the Achilles heel that was his lifelong homosexuality.

It is J. Edgar’s relationship with his mother (Judi Dench) that turns out to be the key that opens the door leading viewers to an insightful understanding of his complex personality. With such a dominant—and dominating—mother (whom he adored), his own persona was subsumed to hers, and he became the compliant and subservient moon to her bright, firm-willed and dazzling sun. The love was there, but no good could come from such a “lovingly” blighted relationship.

Inner core

DiCaprio’s performance is, at the very least, nomination-worthy, because it is unrelenting in its attempt to peel away the layers to Hoover’s persona, one “ugly” secret at a time. DiCaprio is a matinee idol whose glowing screen persona is the product of his unique mix of great looks and charisma, but he “sacrifices” all that in his at times painfully honest depiction of Hoover.

—On second thought, “J. Edgar” can be seen as the apotheosis of DiCaprio’s career-long penchant for playing beautiful but “sensitive” and “misunderstood” souls who are “different” from most people. Starting with his juvenile characterization of “Gilbert Grape,” through “Total Eclipse” to “The Aviator,” the actor has evinced a psychic affinity with “disturbed” characters in his choice of roles.

But, “J. Edgar” takes that insightful affinity one step further, deep into heretofore uncharted territory. To “expose” Hoover’s most vulnerable core, DiCaprio deglamorizes and even occasionally “uglifies” his celebrated good looks, so that they don’t distract viewers from the mangy man he’s portraying. That takes courage and uncompromising thespic commitment, so we should thank the actor for that, as well.

Best of all, Dicaprio’s portrayal goes beyond the ugly and controversial, and makes viewers understand and care for Hoover—warts, horns and all!