Made me a touch sad

Rating: 6/10 (26 May 2005)

Oh, there is so much promise is this movie. A ripe subject matter, an esteemed director and a wonderful cast should be the formula for success, but the finished product, like Hughes' movies themselves, leaves a little to be desired.
It is unfair, but inevitable, in my mind to compare a directors early works with his current ones. If The Aviator proves anything, it is that people change, grow, adapt, and try to keep doing what is most passionate to them. For me, I would have loved to see 1980 Scorcese tackle this project and do what he does best which is draw out the raw, gritty human emotion of the story. It's there in this story, but Scorcese chooses not to mine it, instead focusing on a personal love affair of the movies and movie system of his youth.
It's hard to complain about a Scorcese film. He adeptly shows what he wants to show. The production is first rate and he gets fine performances from his actors, but the story he chooses to tell is not up to his best efforts.