Bold thespic gamble for Leonardo DiCaprio

DICAPRIO (WITH DENCH, RIGHT). Plays against type in “J. Edgar.”

SAY what you want about Leonardo DiCaprio’s romantic dalliances—but, it’s hard to question the scope, diversity and complexity of the roles he breathes life into.

Even more impressively, the list of directors who make a beeline for his services is nothing to scoff at: Martin Scorsese (“The Departed”), Steven Spielberg (“Catch Me If You Can”), James Cameron (“Titanic”), Ridley Scott (“Body of Lies”), Sam Mendes (“Revolutionary Road”), Christopher Nolan (“Inception”), and Woody Allen (“Celebrity”).

Hero or heel

What sets the former child actor apart from Hollywood’s other A-listers, like George Clooney and Brad Pitt? DiCaprio is more than willing to put his neck on the line for roles he can sink his thespic teeth into—whether they’re hero or heel.

So, you can imagine our excitement when we learned about Leo’s ambitious project with our favorite director, Clint Eastwood—“J. Edgar,” which chronicles the life of J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the FBI—and one of America’s most polarizing historical figures. He served under eight American presidents and “reigned” for 47 years, until his death in 1972.

Yes, Hoover was as efficient as he was despotic, and he was no slouch at self-promotion—but, does the film gloss over his homosexuality and speculated cross-dressing habit? Nope. In fact, it’s instructive to note how Eastwood interweaves Hoover’s relationships with his “deputy,” Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) and his mother (Judi Dench), to see how they influence his decisions as an anti-communist (bureauc)rat.

We have misgivings about the lack of subtlety by which the director handles some of the film’s more sensitive scenes—but, hey, Eastwood has always been known as a straightforward storyteller, so we understand how this cinematic cookie crumbles—and stumbles.

The movie’s contentious content aside, it’s DiCaprio’s persuasive performance that resonates most with viewers. The physical makeover he goes through allows him to completely vanish into the “unlikable” character he plays, but the emotional nuances he conveys are just as rich! He doesn’t “prettify” Hoover—he even has a hard time saying “I love you” to the only person he professes to deeply care for.

Sometimes, playing against type is a risk an actor worth his salt has to take. Leo may not have gotten an Oscar nod for it, but he’s won our respect for his risktaking.

More admirably, he refuses to rest on his laurels: Next on his plate are his reunions with Baz Luhrmann (via the anticipated remake of “The Great Gatsby”) and Scorsese, who will helm the buzzed-about “Sinatra” biopic—with DiCaprio portraying Ol’ Blue Eyes himself!