Howard Hughes, flawed genius.

Rating: Null/10 (5 July 2005)

Superb movie! It deals with Hughes' early adult years, from his 20s through his mid 40s, when he left Houston and invaded Hollywood and Washington, forcing lasting advances in movie-making and flight, and calling the bluff of devious politicians. By any measure Howard Hughes was a genius, always thinking ahead, bigger, better, higher. Nothing was impossible, as long as you had enough money and enough people working for you. He never hesitated to risk going broke when he believed in a project. Suffering from mental disorders now known as "obssessive/compulsive" , as it got worse Hughes spent much of his old age as a recluse. But his ideas and those of scientists he hired have changed aviation, space exploration, electronics, communications, and even movie-making. The 2-set DVD has a number of interesting "extras" which show how wide Hughes' impact was.
Leonardo DiCaprio is Howard Hughes, and delivers an award-quality performance. Always dependable Cate Blanchett is equally good as Katharine Hepburn, very closely capturing the unique cadence and sound of her voice. Other stars include beautiful Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, Alec Baldwin as Juan Trippe, head of rival Pan Am Airlines. Alan Alda as the shady Senator Ralph Owen Brewster, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow and Jude Law as Errol Flynn.
The opening scene shows a young boy of about 10 or 11 standing nude in a tub of water, his mother bathing him while she says and spells "quarantine", while warning young Howard about the dangers of various diseases. This we assume was the seed planted by his mother which, germinating and growing in his adult mind, was responsible for Hughes' mental illness. When both dad and mom were dead while Howard was barely in his 20s, he took the Hughes Tool (oil drilling bits) fortune to Hollywood and satisfied both of his interests, making "Hells Angels" about fliers in WW I.
The movie does not try to cover all of Hughes' life, but touches on significant events of a 20-something year period. Desiging and flying a plane that broke speed records. A record flight around the world. Near-death crashes. Failed military contracts, including the Spruce Goose. Romancing the stars. His growing phobias. A landmark film.