J Edgar Hoover (2011)

Synopsis: 

"J Edgar Hoover" starring Leonardo Di Caprio, Judi Dench and Armie Hammer is an engrossing film focussed on Edgar's relationships and mentality. The movie opens with Hoover narrating details to young reporters as an elderly man still serving as Director of the FBI. There are flashbacks that unfold from Hoover's past, spanning the time he joined the FBI to the groundbreaking arrest he made of Lindbergh's son's kidnapper.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Hoover's Relationships & Feelings:  

The flashbacks reveal his complex relationships with his mom (Judi Dench), his number two man, Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) and women in general.  

Hoover's difficulty in expressing romantic love and affection to women is a major topic in the film. Since there is no real evidence of Hoover's homosexuality, the film simply suggests it. At the end, Hoover admits that Tolson is "all [he] ever needed." Whether it is brotherly or romantic is up to the audience to decide. I vote romantic. My analysis is as follows:

Hoover's mother is an overbearing figure in his life, and she clearly degrades homosexuality to the worst form of illness.  She uses a description of a cross-dresser to tell her son, "I would rather have a dead son than a daffodil."

The scene in which Hoover wears his mother's dress and pearl necklace after she dies is both beautiful and revealing. It shows that Hoover has been hiding in the closet his whole life because of the fear of betraying his mom, who he believes is always right. After she dies, he is only left with uncertainty about how to deal with his feelings.

Contribution to the FBI?

I want to see more detail on Hoover's career as an FBI Director. "The Aviator," another biopic with Di Caprio did a better job of illustrating the career of Howard Hughes, who built the most efficient aircraft of his time. It's true that "J Edgar Hoover" shows Hoover's unremitting determination to grant the FBI authority in solving crimes, but there are certain topics like Nixon's wiretapping and Hoover's suspicion of domestic vs. foreign communism that should have been elaborated on. Apparently, Hoover also has a vendetta against Martin Luther King Jr. and falsely accuses people of being communist. I wish these subjects were focused on more. That being said, after watching two and a half hours of this film I still cannot tell you a lot about Hoover's professional journey. It can be argued that his secretary (Naomi Watts) shreds all his files, but still, I think there could be more FBI trials and tribulations portrayed or perhaps more specificity on how Hoover marketed himself to the public. Also, how exactly does he "modernize the FBI?" I know he is eager to do so, but how, I have no idea. The one thing the movie does right is showing how Hoover becomes famous, and that is through the arrest of the Lindbergh kidnapper.

Acting

The acting is amazing, especially by Leonardo Di Caprio in the title role. As you see Hoover transform into a 77 year old stern bespectacled man from a young dapper detective, his change of movement and expression reflect what a good actor Di Caprio is. Few can play a role so meticulously.

Conclusion

The movie is more of a lens into Hoover's persona than a play-by-play of what occurs when he is Director of the FBI. If I wrote the screenplay, I would focus on one event, like the Lindbergh controversy and reveal something about Hoover's personality, but not focus on it. I guess it would make a completely different movie with a different objective.

Recommendation: 

I recommend this film to viewers who are interested in glimpsing at a portrait of a man who in his own eyes is noble and successful, but in reality is surrounded by controversy and mystery.

The Kite Runner

Recently, I had the opportunity to delve into one of Khaled Hosseini's greatest works: "The Kite Runner."

What strikes me most about this book is the seamless obedience and love that Hassan has for his friend Aamir. It might seem incredulous for one person to have that much love for another, but it's possible. People like that exist, in all of our lives. For me, it's my oldest aunt from my mom's side. Her name is Geeta. Ever since I was a child, I remember her taking care of me, loving me, rescuing me from this fever and that typhoid by taking me to the nearest clinic. I remember vomiting on one of the staircases to the doctor's office and watching her going through the same pain that I was. Every word that she speaks is positive and all the stories she tells are magical... Amir's interactions with Hassan are not particularly the same, but Hassan definitely shows the same love in his relationship with Amir.

SPOILER ALERT 
Events in this book are disturbing. Especially towards the middle-end when the Taliban is introduced. It's frustrating to realize that the Taliban is not the authentic Muslim organization it claims to be. It reigns on brutality and corruption and allows many to become violent and exercise their demons: like Assef, who buys little boys from orphanages and rapes them. Although disturbing, the book shows that life has a way of introducing opportunities for us to redeem ourselves. One significant dialogue of the book is when Rahim Khan calls Amir and says, "there is a way to be good again."

Amir:
I believe that Amir is a character that I can relate to.  He's the protagonist and most important character of the novel. Him not defending Hassan when he gets raped contains the deeper subtext  that allowing someone you love to get hurt, is the same as hurting yourself. It always pains me to the think about the times I've hurt my parents or I've nonsensically blamed other people for my faults. It almost makes me feel like I'm undeserving of my life. To some, this may seem over dramatic, but Hosseini shows through the "Kite Runner" that each person's scar-- no matter how big or small it may seem -- is his or her own to understand and deal with. In the story, after being beaten black and blue by Assef, and nearly escaping with his life to save Hassan's son, Amir finally feels at peace. Before that, he is constantly racked with guilt. Even though he is a good son to his father and dutifully fulfills all the moral responsibilities that a young man of his age should perform, a part of him still feels empty. 
And it fills up when he gets what he thinks he deserves, even though Rahim Khan thinks he is too hard on himself.  Therefore, like Amir, I know that there are ways that I can clearly make it up to my loved ones, even if it isn't the conventional "right way".

Ultimate Take Away
I think above all, this book shows the value of friendship, and how it can transcend generations. If someone is important to you, chances are you'll make it up to them!