Nearly twenty years after his last directorial effort,
actor/director Warren Beatty returns with ‘Rules Don’t Apply’. Beatty has
never been one to follow any rules except his own. This has made for a
more interesting and diverse career with films such as ‘Bulworth’ and ‘Dick
Tracy’. He’s been away from screen for too long as ‘Rules Don’t Apply’
shows. He’s lost none of his sparkle with his charismatic presence
enlivening proceedings.
Marla (Lily Collins) is an aspiring actress wanting to make
it in Hollywood. It’s 1958 and she thinks the world is her oyster. Under contract
to movie mogul Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty), she arrives and meets his driver
Frank (Alden Ehrenreich). Also a young person wanting to go places, Frank
and Marla connect via their shared religious beliefs. Their faith and
aspirations become sorely tested as Hughes’ eccentric ways drive them to the
edge of Hollywood lunacy.
‘Rules Don’t Apply’ is a narratively mixed bag. At
turns a romantic drama and then screwball comedy, it never settles on one
genre. Perhaps this was meant to reflect Hughes’ mental state as his
erratic behaviour is reflected on the uneven script. Using the young
leads’ romance as an angle to explore Hughes’ fragile demeanour which he used
it to manipulate people, the screenplay offers some interesting insights.
It doesn’t always work but when it does it’s an occasionally engrossing study
of power and madness.
Beatty’s direction is as unfocussed as the story although he
brings the best out of his cast. His ensemble brings energy and gravitas
to various situations even if some are wasted. Collins and Ehrenreich
display genuine chemistry allowing for genuine investment in their roles.
Beatty more or less plays himself with added psychosis showing his acting talents
have undimmed with age. He is served well by the gorgeous cinematography
and score successfully evoking a bygone era on American movie-making.
More of a patchwork of incidents than a cohesive whole,
‘Rules Don’t Apply’ suffers from poor narrative structure. It generates
interest but not enough to make it memorable. It’s good seeing Beatty
back on screen however and hopefully he won’t leave it too long to return for
another cinematic outing.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 6
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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