blanche-2 Warren Beatty wrote, produced, directed, and starred in "Rules Don't Apply," a film about Howard Hughes released in 2016. The film also stars Lily Collins, Alden Ehrentreich, Annette Benning, Matthew Broderick, and Martin Sheen.Mainly what I got out of this film is that Warren Beatty, even at his age, has a nice singing voice. With training, he could have been quite good.Lily Collins plays Marla, a virginal non-drinking Christian who wins a contest and is brought to Hollywood by Howard Hughes for a screen test. Her driver is Frank Forbes (Ehrentreich), an ambitious young man who is hoping Hughes will go in with him on a land deal. Of course the Hughes employees are forbidden to date or romance the starlets. However, an attraction between the two does develop.I guess that was the plot, though for some reason one doesn't realize until the end it was supposed to be the main thrust of the film.In between that, we are treated to the Hughes eccentricities - not meeting the starlets right away, not giving them screen tests, and then once they are given them, not looking at them right away, his airplane flights and accidents, his refusal to meet the people giving him $400 million for TWA, his testimony before various committees, his constant viewing of his film Hell's Angels, his refusal at first to call a television network to prove he was sane after a book claiming he wasn't was published, his daddy fixation, his fear of being committed, his move to Vegas, his move to Nicaragua, his move to Acapulco, his love of banana nut ice cream, and his marriage to Jean Peters which in this film is because she won't have him committed.The film appears to have played with time. It seems to me that his airline debacles and one especially horrible accident took place before the time of the film, and the story featuring Hughes and Marla is fictional, as I believe is the book by an author who insisted he met Hughes and found him insane. There are many books about Hughes, including the fake one by Clifford Irving - perhaps this is the one referred to with Irving's name changed. Also, the TWA incident was later than the time period of most of the movie.What's good - well, the period atmosphere is great, as are the clothes and hairstyles. I am a huge fan of Lily Collins, and Marla was a wonderful role for her. Her beauty reminds me of Elizabeth Taylor, never more than in this film. Despite such a stellar cast, which also included Candace Bergen, Alec Baldwin, and Oliver Platt, the "names" really did not have very big roles or much opportunity to act.As for Beatty, he was funny at times, and the script certainly captured Hughes' eccentricities. But the film just left me feeling like I had just watched a little over two hours of not much, confused about the actual plot that seemed to feature Hughes more than these two young people, and mixed up as to the timing. I just read it is supposed to be the early '60s - well, I doubt it since he wasn't involved in RKO after 1954. The end of the film took place in the '60s.Some of the reviews for "Rules Don't Apply" stated it was an unabashed vanity project. And you would expect what from a 79-year-old man who writes, produces, directs, and stars in a film and gets into a clinch with a twenty-something? Just what we got - a film where rules don't apply.

danielri I was surprised by the financial losses in theaters when this film was first released. I suspect it will have a long life via other modes of distribution.I thoroughly enjoyed it overnight at home during a rain storm.Surprised to see Candice Bergen in a cameo kind of role with almost no lines of dialogue.The ending is somewhat predictable but Warren Beatty does an entertaining job playing the role of the supposedly crazy billionaire aviation and movie magnate.Thanks for a fine two hours, Warren.

Tony Carter This film of a relationship set against the influence of a disordered billionaire is engaging partly for the reason that it is not obvious exactly where it is going, but ultimately its treatment of the viewer jars.There are a number of strange moments seemingly designed to confuse the viewer, such as the implication someone is having an abortion... and then the next time we see them with their young child. Or the firing of one person who reappears without explanation in the same role a couple of scenes later. Or when a character has arranged to marry someone, and in the next scene it is announced by a third party they have married a different person. Please... this is a bad habit whether postmodern or not. Stop it.This film managed to burn through a significant amount of the goodwill it accrued, with a confusing extended whirlwind sequence related to the business tribulations of Mr. Hughes, seemingly delighting in bewildering the viewer. It made me wonder if this mischievousness suspiciously like contempt was part of the reason Mr. Beatty had not made a Hollywood film in so many years.Perhaps the truth is more simply that the film is a car-crash of editing by someone who shouldn't really be doing it. The ironic fact could have been the film would have done better with a little bit less cutting... or a little bit more! The business backdrop could have been attempted with more conviction or selectively cut whilst still making sense of the film.It's curious that none of the characters is really complete or without flaws. The girl protagonist is a fish out of water who can write songs but can hardly sing, and is trying to make a career as an actress without being able to act. Hughes is one step away from barking at the moon. And the romantic young suitor is less than charismatic or worldly, who needs to be told that baptists "are afraid of sex because it leads to dancing".A shame that the film did not manage to carry the viewer all the way through to the end and let them down instead. Hughes' antics making passengers suffer in the DC airliner turned out rather a metaphor for the film itself.

Amy Adler In the US fifties, Marla Mabry (Lily Collins) is an aspiring actress who comes to Hollywood. As a winner of a beauty pageant, she was noticed by Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty) and given a salary of $400 a week, an apartment and a promise of a screen test. Her devout Baptist mother (Annette Bening) is skeptical of the whole affair but loves her daughter and makes the trip to La La Land with her offspring. But, what surprises await! Marla is part of a growing number of ingenues who have been given the same promises yet no one has yet seen Mr. Hughes! Each beautiful starlet is also given a driver; in Marla's case it is handsome, young Frank (Alden Ehrenreich). Very shortly, these two young folks are casting eyes at each other but there are HUGE problems. First, no driver and starlet are allowed to enter into a relationship. Then, Frank is already engaged to a lady back home in Texas and that, Marla declares, prevents the two of them from ever being a couple. Another driver, Levar (Matthew Broderick) is always watching. In addition, Frank has true ambitions to encourage Mr. Hughes to let him be part of real estate investments. After a brief kissing frenzy, Marla runs from Frank's attentions. But, confused, she finally meets Mr. Hughes and gets her screen test. Will this make her a star and does the very mysterious, baffling Howard have eyes for HER? More wild adventure is just around the corner! This very worthy film has a stellar cast which delivers in every role. What a pleasure to see Collins, Ehrenreich, Broderick, Candice Bergen, Alec Baldwin, Bening, Martin Sheen, and all the rest embody their parts to perfection! Naturally, special kudos go to Beatty, not only for his terrific turn as Hughes but also for writing and directing this unique movie. Yes, it has some uneven moments, especially in the middle of the flick, but, overall, this is an amazingly intriguing film. Add on wonderful sets and fabulous costumes and this is a treat for any discerning film lover. Tired of the humdrum movies coming out of Hollywood these days? Get No Rules Apply!