Reaaally tiring movie....In the first 20 minutes you're like "ok it seems interesting..don't know what's going on here but I guess we'll find out soon...." I would mainly describe this movie as a pain in the a$$. The only way someone would possibly appreciate this movie, is by seeing it under the perspective of Mr Hughes disorder... Other than that...the movie is so NOT worth-watching, no matter some of the household names that play in it.

Marla Mabrey is a naive but beautiful virgin, one of many ingénues kept on the payroll by Howard Hughes in the hope of Hollywood stardom. There is mutual attraction between her and driver Frank - he is also hopeful of using the Hughes connection as a step up - but they are both scared of the warning that moving that attraction forward is grounds for dismissal.This set-up is made clear in the trailer. What happens from here onwards is that the film - written and directed by Warren Beatty - concentrates on Howard Hughes as he gets deeper and deeper into his squirrelly period, spending much of this 127 minute film in deep shadow or behind curtains. Since Beatty also plays Hughes, one comes to the conclusion that this is essentially a vanity project. It is also pretty dull.The trailer also leads you to believe it is a comedy. Despite some amusing moments, it isn't. So, it's neither a romance nor a comedy. In fact, it's far from clear exactly what sort of film it is other than a long and not-very-interesting one.There is a phenomenal cast, but most of them are given very little to do. Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich as the ostensible romantic leads are pleasing, but somewhat betrayed in that the movie isn't actually about them at all.The period production values are heavily in evidence, and Caleb Deschanel's cinematography is gorgeous.And you leave the cinema two hours later going "What was that all about, then?"

Mostly not about the familiar tale of Howard Hughes, really more about the chaos that the super-rich too often rain on those dogged souls around them. Nice writing, great dialogue, a real roller-coaster. A situation is created in the first few minutes, and another at the one-hour mark, that are exceptionally well resolved in the last 15 minutes. That final arc, very cleverly plotted, with its perfect dialogue, every single word of it, and four slowly growing realizations, has had me watching it on the recorder half a dozen times. A small marvel. Great to see Alec Baldwin and Ed Harris in small parts and Matthew Broderick in a bigger part. I've seen all three repeatedly on Broadway in some of the funnier roles created - Broderick in The Foreigner was THE funniest I've seen, period. Also Taissa Farmiga, recently very funny on Broadway (with Ed Harris) and almost unrecognizable here.Thanks to Warren Beatty's kind writing, Alden Ehrenchreich and especially Lily Collins are the real stars of this movie.They have the most screen-time and some impressively funny scenes, sad scenes, confused scenes, angry and mistrustful scenes, and (surprise surprise) in-love scenes.Both have shown themselves wide-ranging previously in other roles. Alden Ehrenchreich really handled well the magic addressed against him in Beautiful Creatures.Lily Collins (daughter of Phil Collins) as a fiery princess acted Julia Roberts and Nathan Lane into the shade in Mirror Mirror - her training to become a dwarf warrior is another scene worth multiple re-watches.Her dark-eyed even look and confident voice and general lack of any fear have reminded some of a young Natalie Wood or Elizabeth Taylor. She would be so right if anyone ever makes another Ivanhoe. Especially a funny one.

Not only writer/director but writer/director/produce/actor!Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.In spite of a host of well-known actors, some in bit parts, this movie never gets off the ground. The slow introduction isn't suspenseful, it's boring. Like the rest of it. Plodding is the only kind way to describe it.There have been several movies about Howard Hughes, many documentaries and probably dozens of books. That he was reclusive and didn't like to appear in public, we know. Whether the other events depicted in this movie were true or not, who knows? More to the point - who cares!The shaded lighting keeping most of the characters in the shade much of the time, particularly their faces and especially Warren Beatty, is both unnecessary and annoying. Atmospheric? Hardly. Arty? Not in a million years.Perhaps Beatty is falling apart like Hughes. This movie certainly is.