By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Warren Beatty
Starring: Annette Bening | Candice Bergen | Lily Collins | Matthew Broderick | Paul Sorvino | Warren Beatty
Country: united_states
Year: 2016
Running time: 127
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1974420/reference
Thom says: “I was totally amazed at my appreciation for this film especially because it was for all the wrong reasons, at least as my expectations went. I picked this up due to the presence of Annette Bening, the lovely wife of the director Warren Beatty, who particularly has almost legendary status. As a director he did win an Oscar for the OK REDS but certainly the rest of his output is mediocre at best and while many of his earlier films as an actor are especially memorable he hasn’t appeared in a decent film since 1981, a 35-year old chasm that didn’t appear to have any chance of being alleviated.
“The earlier part of the film didn’t hold too many clues, especially since Ms. Bening’s character exited stage left, never to return and the rather ordinary focus of the film was on aspiring star Marla Mabley (Lily Collins) and her personal driver (Alden Ehrenreich) who’s hopelessly in love with her. When I first learned that their boss was the reclusive & very odd Howard Hughes, played by Beatty I actually groaned as I’d already seen Hughes portrayed by Jason Robards, Jr. & Leonardo DiCaprio in MELVIN & HOWARD & THE AVIATOR & I had doubts what Beatty could bring to the role. Instead of the caricature I was dreading I got a full-blown development of the eccentric billionaire that elevated the entire movie. Maybe his wife’s series of exceptional performances inspired old Beatty, but whatever brought this performance to the fore it’s well worth seeing.”