Interesting perspective, Mr. Porter.
Actually, I was listening, and have had the pleasure of being in Houston, Dallas, and Austin many times. That's not the point. The point is that DiCaprio's accent comes and goes, and sounds NOTHING like Hughes. Hughes did NOT have a "Houston" accent, and if you don't believe me, click on the link I posted above, go to the Wright Tools website, and listen to the .wav files of Hughes actually testifiying before Congress.
I agree with you about the sets and the cinematography, though. Very nicely researched and executed.
I appreciate also your observations about the Death of Honesty in Hollywood. However, just because Hollywood plays fast and loose with the facts in order to tell a story doesn't mean we have to like it. One wonders whether Scorsese will come out with a sequel detailing HRH's involvement with the CIA. . .I would suppose NOT, as he's already used much of the shock of HRH's later life to work in the first film.
Hmmm. . . not sure where you derive the factual basis for your assertion that "this movie is not for . . . people [y]our age . . ." in the absence of our biographical information here. . .nor am I sure that I agree anyway: more people outside of the 16-30 demographic know who Hughes was, and therefore would be more likely interested than folks going to the "DiCaprio Movie."
Now, I agree with you, that Daniel Day-Lewis (who was, by the way, born in 1957, and could hardly be characterized as an actor for Generation Y, unlike Mr. DiCaprio, who was born in 1974, and who could be), is an OUTSTANDING actor, and he completely stole the show in "Gangs of New York" despite being cast as "William Cutting" even though the real "Bill The Butcher" was "William Poole" and he lived 30 years earlier.
Mel Gibson, some love him, some hate him. I personally enjoyed the hell out of "Payback."
But really now, Leo as one of the "greatest actors of [y]our generation?" I don't disagree in the slightest that he brings in ticket sales. But seriously, Bogart, Wayne, Brando, De Niro, Nicholson,
DiCaprio?
But hey, just like Gangs, if this movie stimulates interest in actually learning what happened, it can't be all bad. Check out that "Empire: The Life, Legend and Madness of Howard Hughes" book, it's got some great information. No longer in print but check
www.alibris.com.