So-So

Rating: 5/10 (5 May 2012)

OK, well I had waited a long time to see this film and I didn't really have any expectations, apart from the fact that it's directed by Scorsese. The direction is good, a little prosaic but serviceable; what I find incredible is that Cate Blanchett won a best supporting actress Oscar for this - she's terrible. Hammy and not even proficient at "doing" Katharine Hepburn. I didn't know whether to laugh at her performance or to cry that this type of hack job is rewarded with an Oscar. Kate Beckinsale on the other hand as Ava Gardner is miles better, stunning to look at and with a genuine fire that made me think, Yes, this is a quality that made this woman tick. Leonardo DiCaprio is fine as Hughes, nothing special, just fine. He's a good but not a great actor, he lacks a certain magic, a certain uniqueness that would make him more than just average. I found myself wondering what Sean Penn would have been like in the role...