Biopic for those who don't know Hughes' story ends up just OK

Rating: 7/10 (20 February 2005)

Howard Hughes had a pretty crazy life. That's what I could sum up this biopic as trying to say. There was no reason to release this film at this time, but Scorsese did a pretty decent job, and therefore, the directing saved this pretty anti-climactic story There were hardly any resolutions when Hughes, played very consistently by Leonardo DiCaprio, would see a problem with his insanities throughout life, which made his story seem less and less likely to end up great. In fact, a lot of friends I know thought this was suppose to show the genius behind him, but in actuality, the film seems to make him more like an OCD sufferer and man who cheats death throughout his life rather than any kind of public-figure-turned-hero/genius.
All of the acting was done very well. I got tired of seeing Cate Blanchett's "Katherine Hepburn," but I guess I should blame Scorsese for allowing that over-the-top delivery over and over again. Gwen Stefani played Jean Harlow, who seems to never say much other than kissing some Hughes butt publicly (at least that's what you think whenever you see her role in The Aviator). Hughes, being a man of the ladies of Hollywood, knew and dated many a celebrity back in his time, and this film got that fact across, and he probably would've continued had his drive to work more than love taken over.
The film completely overlooks his death and some other points of his life, but again, Scorsese sums up a good amount of it. The film was a bit long (about a man whom some have never heard of before) to get it point across, but it was nice to hear that some of past's moguls were not so boring and that they had their problems, too.
I don't know if I'd see it again, but it was a great summing up of Hughes' life. I gave it a 7/10 because it had a pretty typical story of a man's rise and fall throughout life, but it was nice to see the many facets of humanity that were realized before Hughes' eyes when he was at the height of his career. A good rent, when it comes out, but I wouldn't buy.