Articles + Quotes on Film & TV

Clint Eastwood proves his considerable worth once again as director, and in this instance, with the music as well. In this biopic, Leonardo Di Caprio portrays Mr J. Edgar Hoover to an unnervingly realistic degree and is matched in his skills by the supporting cast. Judi Dench portrays his mother, Armie Hammer his close friend and colleague, Clyde Tolson and Naomi Watts his trusted secretary, Helen Gandy. Ms Watt's character bring back the old meaning of that word, in the seventeenth century, a secretary, was quite literally a keeper of secrets. The script is taut and seamless, the story moves back and forth, past to future and bits in between to tell Mr Hoover's story of the birth of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and of the beginning of forensics being used in criminal investigations. Not only this, the film also details the life of J. Edgar Hoover. There were many different sides to Mr Hoover, and all come across in Mr Di Caprio's performance. And not only ...

From the first scene of the pilot, I was hooked. Admittedly, I was already interested to a high degree, given the signs: David Goyer, co writer of the Dark Knight Trilogy, has created a show about the early and not well known years of Leonardo Da Vinci, which allows for a lot more creative licence. The actors, some more well known than others, but all committed to their characters. It is a historical drama fantasy, but also a thriller. Renaissance Florence, has its politics, the game and shifts in power ever changing. Lorenzo Medici, also known as Il Magnifico, is undisputed leader of Florence, but the ground is shifting from under him. He is portrayed by Elliot Cowan. In the pilot, a powerful ally is assassinated, which starts the earthquake and introduces enemies from Rome. Chief among which, Count Giralamo Riario, the Pope's nephew and a real nasty piece of work. (Portrayed here by Blake Ritson) Leonardo is an artist, who sees more around him than his contemporaries. He ...