J. Edgar, opening today, ticks off all the boxes required for Oscar bait, from the legendary director to the biopic subject to the historical weight to the big names in the supporting cast. But most of all it's got Leonardo DiCaprio, whose movies in the last 6 years or so have been guaranteed for Oscar buzz every single time, whether or not they eventually got the nominations (sorry, Shutter Island). But after three nominations and presumably many more near-misses, DiCaprio remains Oscar-less. So it's time for a J. Edgar preview to get serious about addressing this.



OK, yes, this is obviously a parody from the tricksters at Funny or Die, but as a pitch-perfect parody of the actual J. Edgar trailer that really chips away at the movie's veneer of self-importance, it's pretty great. I love the way DiCaprio takes instructions from Judi Dench at her bedside-- she's got her Oscar, after all-- and is somehow constructing a giant attack on Brad Pitt, whose "dreamy eyes in Moneyball" threaten Leo's chances. I happen to think DiCaprio is actually really good in J. Edgar-- more on that later today once I write my review-- but there is something a little patently transparent about movies like J. Edgar, or at least with their trailers, which always seem to be screaming "Take me seriously!" After this parody, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to again.

J. Edgar is in limited release today and opens wide on Friday-- no, I don't understand that strategy either. If you have a high tolerance for glossy Oscar bait and for Leonardo DiCaprio's accent-- which actually isn't that distracting once you get used to it-- you might enjoy the movie more than the Funny or Die people seem to be.