A pointless movie that dragged on...

Rating: 4/10 (2 January 2005)

I can never see Leonardo DiCaprio as a man. He will always look like a scrawny, little guy. He just does not come across as an adult in this film any more than he did in Titanic. Young girls like him, which is why Titanic made so much money since all those young girls went to see him over and over. I wonder if it will happen here. Leo, please keep your clothes on. It only makes you look more like a kid. The cinematography is wonderful and very controlled as the film progresses. The Howard Hughes character is not delved into enough in order for the viewer to see the mental breakdown of a very eccentric man. Three hours and his disturbing actions did not seem credible. He is crazed and living behind locked doors. Then he is cleaned up and very lucid before all the flash bulbs at the Senate hearings. For someone who was in such poor emotional condition, it was difficult to buy the transformation. Cate Blanchette was wonderful as Hepburn. She nailed that role with her own twist to it. As an Aussie playing the varied roles she has chosen, she always seems to rise to each. I hope one day she will be recognized for her great talent. Ian Holmes is always good and made a wonderful professor. Kate Bechinsale did a fine piece tender, yet tough, acting the part of Ava Gardner. She didn't mimic the iconic late star, but took on the role in her own tempered manner. Scorcese is a wonderful filmmaker whom I greatly admire. However, this attempt at a very long film led nowhere. I kept wanting the film to give me more depth of the Hughes character and felt squirmy in my seat. Possibly the miscasting of DiCaprio was part of the problem, but the back story and the slow progression into mental illness needed to be explored more deeply. Again, I can't say enough about the cinematography. I do hope that brings in an Oscar.