Rules Don't Apply

Everything...is undercooked, half-thought and damn near incomprehensible.

Beatty has made a beautiful-to-look-at film making full cinematic use of its glamorous period setting. But despite having all the ingredients for a charming movie, like Howard Hughes, Rules Don't Apply's soul remains elusive.

A richly satirical portrait of American double standards.

There are so many details to savour in this beautifully produced film that it's all the more regrettable that it doesn't quite coalesce into a satisfying whole.

Sloppy, lively and joyfully fast-paced.

If Hughes's problem is the lack of anyone with the balls to tell him not to be so damned silly, the symbiosis between character and creator is perfect.

Beatty's lofty ambitions for this project are undone by the story and presentation's general unevenness.

Viewers who can get on the film's wavelength will find much to enjoy, but there's no denying the picture is slight in the extreme.

Written, directed and starring Warren Beatty (playing Hollywood eccentric and legendary billionaire Howard Hughes) this is a love story of sorts to the era of Golden Hollywood...

A handsome movie that lives up to its name. The strict rules of romantic comedy, drama and biography don't apply here. It's a wistful confection, sometimes frothy, sometimes idiosyncratic, that feels like it might have sprung from the era it portrays.