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While he may not be the most likely subject of a biopic, J. Edgar Hoover is arguably one of the most interesting men to have held a government office in the United States. A conniving and socially-isolated man, Hoover spent most of his life perfecting a system that we consider commonplace today. His creation of  forensic laboratories and the fingerprint system used to identify criminals has had a major impact on crime-solving. In telling his story, one couldn’t have asked for a better crew to helm the project. The ferocity of Clint Eastwood’s direction and the aptitude of Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting seem like the perfect match for a great film.

Surprise! It’s not. Don’t get me wrong. Eastwood successfully employs his superbly majestic style used in all of his projects and DiCaprio will likely get an Oscar nomination for his deft portrayal of the FBI’s most important director, but there are also major problems with this film.

The screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for 2008’s “Milk,” is clunky and moves back and forth across Hoover’s life with no clear direction. The pieces are all there, they just aren’t put together coherently. I couldn’t tell if Black was trying to have us sympathize with Hoover or if we were supposed to regard him as someone with more wicked intentions.

The film isn’t helped by the costume or make-up departments either. When portraying the older Hoover, DiCaprio looks so similar to Charles Foster Kane that the resemblance actually becomes a distraction. In addition, the movie jumps around so much between time periods that the environments and wardrobes do not seem to match the shifts, making for more confusing and poorly constructed elements. The production value of the film seems to have been lost somewhere in the process, which is probably the most unfortunate aspect of the film.

Nonetheless, the film has many redeeming qualities. The acting is phenomenal with Armie Hammer as Clyde Tolson, Hoover’s alleged partner, and Judi Dench as J. Edgar’s mother. Hammer, in his first major role since his dual performance as the Winklevoss twins in 2010’s “The Social Network,” proves he is the next big Hollywood gem. Twelve years younger than Leo, he punches out some of the better dramatic moments in the film and shows he’s willing to work hard for critical praise. Dench gives an equally worthy performance as the overbearing mother of the future head of the most important intelligence agency in the world.

Plot points about J. Edgar’s detachment from his department’s arrests and the hunt for Charles Lindbergh’s baby are both captivating and well-written, but it’s not enough to make up for the weaknesses that show through in the rest of the film. DiCaprio and Eastwood seem to be following the same trend for a few years now. It’d be nice to see them start taking more risks with the films they work on. Perhaps Eastwood could make an adventure picture or DiCaprio a comedy. Maybe I’m crazy. Either way, they need to find something better to do than “J. Edgar.”