It takes three elements, working in perfect harmony, to make a great motion picture: strong acting, first-rate direction and a compelling script.

"J. Edgar," the biopic directed by Clint Eastwood that looks at the labyrinthine life of J. Edgar Hoover, has only two out of the three.

Eastwood shows a steady hand as he directs Leonardo DiCaprio, who turns in an Oscar-worthy performance playing the enigmatic Hoover. The problem comes from Dustin Lance Black's script, which plays like a high school book report where the student only read the CliffsNotes.

Rick Bentley's one-minute review

Hoover's life is a fascinating story of a man driven to great accomplishments while haunted by personal conflicts. Black's task was to distill Hoover's life – from top cop to the rumors of his sexual orientation – into a 2-hour, 20-minute movie. Black's hesitance to embrace either leaves the script superficial.

Everything from the McCarthy hearings to reports Hoover enjoyed dressing in women's clothing is either skipped over or handled with such a delicate touch that the movie is drained of power. Hoover's sexuality is so delicately handled it's almost an afterthought.

Less attention to the mechanics of law enforcement and more details on Hoover's personal life would have given the production a much stronger emotional punch.

DiCaprio – who's transformed through makeup (also worthy of an Oscar nod) – turns in another sterling performance. He takes Hoover from a wide-eyed, opportunistic youth to secretive and emotionally secluded old man. The script trips him up at times because there are moments – especially those with Hoover's iron-fisted mother (Judi Dench) – where the writing is just too ambivalent.

Eastwood's direction is solid, and he gets as fabulous a performance out of his actors as the script allows.

Naomi Watts is completely wasted as Hoover's devoted secretary Helen Gandy. After an initial botched romantic moment between Hoover and Gandy, the role dissolves into a series of scenes of her answering the phone. Armie Hammer's performance as Hoover's trusted assistant Clyde Tolson feels distant because the script dances around his real connection to Hoover.

Eastwood's biggest mistake is the decision to shoot the movie in muted tones – an attempt to give it a semi-documentary feel. It comes across as little more than a filmmaking gimmick.

"J. Edgar" never recovers from Black's fumbling script. If only the writing had been as good as the direction and acting, then the film would have shot to the top of America's Most Wanted Film list.