For me this is a ’Must Watch’ movie.There is nothing better than watching this movie in the theatres.I discovered magical Martin Scorcese , the maverick Howard Hughes and the versatile actor Leonardo all in this film.
Why do we need to have limits ? Why do we need to stop ? That is the theme of the movie. Howard Hughes was a man who pulled out all the stops.The guy was a crank , an idealist , a perfectionist and a cleanliness freak - but the madder he gets the more you like him.
The film starts with young Howard Hughes who has been left millions behind from his father’s legacy trying to create the most magical wartime movie ever. As is his style he just wants everything he could dream to be part of the movie- chases , spies , soundtrack , mid air clashes and crashes all the stuff a kid could want to have in an Action movie. He uses 35 cameras when entire Hollywood has as many. He destroys many planes in order to get the Right Sequence , shooting goes above schedule because he wants the right background . All this while his financiers go far above budget and he is on the brink of his solvency.
But this is the quintessential American Dream and the movie becomes a BIG Big Success when it is released .And this would remain the essence of what Howard would do in his life there on - whether it be breaking the barrier for the fastest man to fly around the world or breaking the rules of the censor board so that his heroine could titillate viewers.
Women , Planes and megalomanic projects keep coming and going in his life and he keeps stretching the limits non-chalantly.He is blissfully unaware of ground realities as he chases his wild dreams but at the same time he is so vulnerable , so innocent and idealist that your heart goes out for him.
And though he gets reduced to a psychotic wreck in the course, he fights back in the end to reclaim his empire, to reclaim his glory and to fly the biggest airplane ever built.
Full credit goes to the director and to leonardo that the impact of Howard Hughes affects you so strongly after you see the movie.The music and the soundtrack complement excellently. The cinematography and picturisation is the Best you will see for a while.And this is one of the best biographical movies I have ever seen.