On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best
5
Plot: The movie is based off of Howard Hughes' life beginning with his first directed film and ending with his court date with US government. The film shows how Howard Hughes went from being a ambitious perfectionist to a paranoid and perverted man. The story is fascinating but I wished that there was more. The ending had me curious and had to look up more information.
Characters/Actors of Note:
Leonardo DiCaprio playing Howard Hughes: It was amazing to see how Mr. DiCaprio could change from a young ambitious character to an old and extremely paranoid character. The body shapes and moods are so different from one another but it is understood that this is still Howard Hughes. Mr. DiCaprio was even nominated for an Oscar...but we all know how that ended up. Has DiCaprio ever let me down before? Great acting per usual.
Cate Blanchett playing Katharine Hepburn: I first thought that Ms. Blanchett was being over the top but then I realized that Katharine Hepburn was really like that. Ms. Blanchett did extensive research into this part watching at least 10 of her films, taking cold showers, and playing sports as Hepburn did. She seemed odd but fun, just as Hepburn was. Ms. Blanchett was spot-on in this performance and won an Oscar for her work.
Music: The movie takes place in the 30s and 40s and enjoyed how the music sounded like it came from that era. The jazz music in the beginning and even the orchestra for Hughes' actions were well done. The music had lots of brass which created as much tension as there was excitement.
Camera Work/Cinematography: The movie was bright and the lines were done well. After reading some trivia about the film, I learned that Scorsese tried to make the film seem like it was in the 30s and 40s by using the same color format. He wanted to make the film seem as blurry as those films as well. I am glad that the blurriness was not added and personally did not notice the coloring until it was pointed out. The issue I had with the film is one of Scorsese's trademarks, which is rapid cut shots. If the point was to make the film seem 30s and 40s, how about using the same types of cuts and fading techniques used during that era? Did I like the way the film was done...for the most part yes. Did I think Scorsese achieved his 30s/40s look....no.
RECAP:
The acting was spot-on and impressive. The music was perfect. The camera work was not done well but the cinematography was. The script could have used a better ending but the rest of the writing was good. It made me squirm, it made me think, and it made me sad. I thought about this film often afterwards just because it was so as disturbingly interesting. I recommend it.
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| Courtesy of 411 Posters |
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