Breaking a three month silence about the upcoming J. Edgar Hoover biopic directed by Clint Eastwood, it was reported yesterday that Joaquin Phoenix has been approached for a role in the film. The story seemed to suggest that the film will indeed explore the hidden aspects of Hoover's life, including a cross dressing fetish and a predilection for homosexual orgies. The fact of the matter is, however, that we know next to nothing about the project other than the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio was rumored for the lead. Luckily, Movie Line caught up with screenwriter Dustin Lance Black about the project and in addition to confirming DiCaprio's role, he also talked a little about the script itself.

For starters, the film will be told entirely from Hoover's point of view, but won't be "as linear and traditional as Milk" (the script that Black won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for). He also commented that people knowing Hoover is helpful because it allowed him to explore other areas, but also offered the caveat that they "may only think they know Hoover." Lastly, he offered this little tidbit:

"I’ve read all the books; I’m a history buff. It’s always told from a rather detached point of view, and I think that’s because Hoover never let anyone in. And because of that — and the contradiction between what he believed his history was and what his history actually was — it lends itself to a less-traditional structure. There are more contradictions.”

The team-up of Eastwood, DiCaprio and Black is amazing to say the least, but there is a lot of room for error in this project. For all the good that J. Edgar Hoover did while founding the FBI, he also made some incredibly controversial moves. It can't be a valentine and it can't be a run through the mud. Throw in the possible inclusion of rumor and you may be making a messy bed to lie in.