| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Leonardo DiCaprio | ... | J. Edgar Hoover | |
| Josh Hamilton | ... | Robert Irwin | |
| Geoff Pierson | ... | Mitchell Palmer | |
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Cheryl Lawson | ... | Palmer's Wife |
| Kaitlyn Dever | ... | Palmer's Daughter | |
| Brady Matthews | ... | Inspector | |
| Gunner Wright | ... | Dwight Eisenhower | |
| David A. Cooper | ... | Franklin Roosevelt | |
| Ed Westwick | ... | Agent Smith | |
| Naomi Watts | ... | Helen Gandy | |
| Kelly Lester | ... | Head Secretary | |
| Jack Donner | ... | Edgar's Father | |
| Judi Dench | ... | Annie Hoover | |
| Dylan Burns | ... | Hoover as a Child | |
| Jordan Bridges | ... | Labor Dept. Lawyer | |
Biopic of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) told by Hoover as he recalls his career for a biography. Early in his career, Hoover fixated on Communists, anarchists, and any other revolutionary taking action against the U.S. government. He slowly builds the agency's reputation, becoming the sole arbiter of who gets hired and fired. One of his hires is Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), who is quickly promoted to Assistant Director and was Hoover's confidant and companion for the rest of Hoover's life. Hoover's memories have him playing a greater role in the many high profile cases in which the F.B.I. was involved, the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the arrest of bank robbers like John Dillinger, and also show him to be quite adept at manipulating the various politicians with whom he worked over his career, thanks in large part to his secret files. Written by garykmcd
Snipets of history and then a tabloid romance that, in its day, was made of rumor and innuendo. A psychotic, paranoid schizophrenic, as I see it, head of the most powerful Federal Bureau Of Investigation, corrupted by his own power and his obsession with secrecy is a character worthy of Peter Lorre but in this new outing of the prolific Clint Eastwood, J Edgar Hoover is Leonardo DiCaprio! I love both DiCaprio and Eastwood but not in this. I love DiCaprio for Gilbert Grape and Eastwood for The Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven. Here they are both out of their depths. Long, boring film with terrible aging make-up and no real center. The most unexpected aspect was the time dedicated to the romance between J Edgar and Clyde Tolson. It humanized the man without revealing him. That's almost cheating.