Watch this more for learning than for entertainment

Rating: 6/10 (4 October 2008)

Before watching this film I knew nothing about Howard Hughes, about aviation, had no idea what this film was about other than a biography, when it was set, had never even seen a trailer. Yet, I had heard many positive reviews and curious to see what all the fuss was about I finally got around to watching the film, and was not disappointed I did.
As I said before, I knew nothing previously about Howard Hughes so this film was interesting to me just to find out about the man, about his eccentricities, his obsession with perfection, his his constant strive towards the future. Leonardo DiCaprio was believable (though how similar he was to the real Howard Hughes I cannot comment), as was Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn (in fact, I'd say Blanchett's performance was some of the best acting I have seen in a long time).
The film isn't exciting, fun, it doesn't even capture the viewer and keep them enthralled in the story. It is long, and I often began to think 'is this film actually going ANYHWERE?' but it is worth a watch, especially if you're interesting in Howard Hughes, or if not, if you enjoy biographical films, or even interested in Hollywood at the time. I'm glad I watched it purely to find out about the man, but it is dark, and will leave viewers with a dark feeling looming over them, and I don't think I'd like to watch it again in a hurry. It is a brave film, some of the scenes seemed incredibly risky but were pulled off well, but there isn't really much more to say - I won't rave and say it was one of the best things I've ever watched, because it isn't, but it does deserve recognition (far more than it's had if I'm honest) and is a good piece of work. Give it a go, just don't expect to be overwhelmed.