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RULES DON'T APPLY

What a film! Intriguing storyline, filled with romance and drama, which makes it so special and why I liked it! I enjoyed this film and learned some interesting facts about Howard Hughes and how he became such a well-known figure in history.

Howard Hughes, a brilliant billionaire wants to make movies, planes, tools and get involved in the field of medicine. Rules Don't Apply explains Howard Hughes as a rule breaker and a risk taker. For his movies he kept many actresses waiting around to star in one of his movies. Most of them never did. They received $400 a week, a house and a chauffeur. The film focuses on one of the actresses, her driver and their relationship with each other and Howard Hughes. The rule is "employees do not date" and they break the rules.

The acting in this film is superb and very believable. Warren Beatty, Alec Baldwin, Oliver Platt, Matthew Broderick, Lily Collins, Annette Benning and Candice Bergen are among the star studded cast.

Lily Collins (Marla Mabrey) is magnificent in bringing Marla Mabrey to life as an inspiring young actress full of hopes and dreams. Alden Ehrenreich (Frank Forbes) is stupendous as Marla's driver and love interest. His character oozes with emotions and he even made me cry in a couple scenes. He wants to be close to Howard Hughes because he wants him to invest in some land off of Mulholland Drive which he thinks has great promise. I felt as if I was living in 1958 Hollywood and was watching events as they happened. The sets and locations look so authentic for the period. I love seeing what Hollywood used to look like, even if its all shot on green screen.

I laughed at the scene when the actresses stood under a window while their pay checks were lowered to them on the end of a rope from a window above them. The actresses were not allowed to drive but when Frank Forbes let Marla Mabrey drive the car, I cheered for her. She finally got back just a little bit of her freedom and dignity and I could feel the happiness and joy she felt.

Warren Beatty as Howard Hughes is terrific. He acts just like I think the real Howard Hughes did. He is strangely odd and yet loveable. You want to root for him to succeed.

Warren Beatty directs, writes, produces and acts in this dramatic film, his first in 20 years. He is an award winning icon. The award winning Annette Benning, his wife, also stars in the movie. She is the concerned mother who reminds me of my own mother, always worrying about me.

At times it seemed a little slow but dramas always feel that way after watching cartons, YouTube and all the fast technology my generation watches every day. It was shot in real time so there are not a lot of scenes jumping around. The story is in the sets, words and acting.

Howard Hughes is shown with his a pain killer addiction and as a playboy so, I recommend this for ages 13 to 18. There are times when they have conversations, which I did not understand and my Mom said we will talk about it later. That said, I enjoyed learning more about Howard Hughes who is an interesting character and, in many cases, was ahead of his time. Without him, airplanes and movies would be totally different than they are today, along with many other inventions he was involved in personally or financially.

This film opens nationwide November 23rd so, be sure to check it out.

Reviewed by Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

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An aspiring young actress (Lily Collins) and her ambitious young driver (Alden Ehrenreich) struggle hopefully with the absurd eccentricities of the wildly unpredictable billionaire Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty) for whom they work. It's Hollywood, 1958. Small town beauty queen, songwriter, and devout Baptist virgin Marla Mabrey (Collins), under contract to the infamous Howard Hughes (Beatty), arrives in Los Angeles. At the airport, she meets her driver Frank Forbes (Ehrenreich), who is engaged to be married to his 7th grade sweetheart and is a deeply religious Methodist. Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but also defies Hughes' #1 rule: no employee is allowed to have any relationship whatsoever with a contract actress. Hughes' behavior intersects with Marla and Frank in very separate and unexpected ways, and as they are drawn deeper into his bizarre world, their values are challenged and their lives are changed.