"There's too much Howard Hughes in Howard Hughes."

Rating: 9/10 (10 November 2007)

Watching the film today for the first time, I found myself fascinated by it, but not for the reasons I thought I would be. As a teenager in the 1960's, I was aware of this character named Howard Hughes, the billionaire recluse who made a vast fortune in the aviation business. What I wasn't aware of, nor was the rest of the world, is that Hughes spent a lifelong battle against mental illness following the tragic crash of one of his experimental airplanes. I don't recall ever reading about or hearing a reference to his Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, which made the revelation in the film to be so intriguing and fascinating. Though the film glossed over his personal relationships while he was going through this, I really wonder what it must have been like for his close friends and business associates to see him go through this agony.
When I first heard about Leonardo DiCaprio's casting as Hughes, I thought to myself 'no way', that doesn't even make sense. Watching the movie, it still didn't make sense, until I watched a documentary about Hughes showing him in clips from the era in question, the late 1920's to the late 1940's. Back then, Hughes didn't even look like Hughes, at least the Hughes that I can remember from newspaper photos during the late 1960's. In the scenes that depict the man's descent into madness, DiCaprio appears to transform into a reasonable facsimile of the aging, reclusive genius. Anyway, not being particularly a DiCaprio fan, I thought he did an excellent job in his portrayal, a tribute to his exhaustive research into the life of his subject.
I don't pretend to know anything about the filming techniques involved in producing this movie, but I thought it unique the way it opens with a bluish/aqua cast to the scenes for a good part of the first half. At first it was somewhat distracting, especially during the dinner scene with the blue peas, but later I learned it was meant to simulate the Technicolor process available at that time in Hughes' life. As the movie progresses, it takes on a more realistic color rendition, director Scorsese's bold way of marking movie-making progress through the years.
I suppose I should mention Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Katherine Hepburn. It only took hearing a couple of sentences to realize that she sounded dead on for the late star, while capturing the look and mannerisms in an eerily accurate way. There has always been something just out of reach for me in trying to understand why I didn't like Hepburn as a person. With Blanchett's portrayal, I now know why, and I think it has to do with what Hughes figured out. She seemed to be acting out her life instead of living it.
For Hughes fans interested in the aviation side of the story, there's a lot of that too. I was particularly impressed with the inventor's clear vision for the future of commercial air travel, and the depiction of the rivalry against Pan-Am President Juan Trippe (Alec Baldwin). The tense scene during the Senate hearings conducted by Ralph Owen Brewster (Alan Alda) was nearly identical to the real thing from a news clip I viewed of the actual event.
On balance, I'd have to say that watching the film was an entirely worthwhile experience on a number of levels. Entertaining it was for sure, but I came away with a much better understanding and appreciation for a legendary character that many will only know as a name in history. Kudos to all involved with this project, which manages to be entirely absorbing, even to the smallest detail.