I don’t often fall asleep while watching a movie at the theater. It would be a hypocritical act for someone who scolds his partner regularly for dozing. Every once in a while, though, there’s a film that affects me like cinematic Ambien. In this case, it’s Rules Don’t Apply, a supposed romantic comedy written, produced and directed by Warren Beatty that actually completed principal photography nearly two and a half years ago in June of 2014.
A biopic about Howard Hughes was a pet project of Beatty’s for over 40 years. Ultimately, that’s what Rules Don’t Apply is; however, it takes a back seat to the potential romance between one of his drivers, Frank Forbes (Alden Ehrenreich), and one of his contract actresses, Marla Mabry (Lily Collins). That’s where the title comes in. Hughes’s (Beatty) number one rule is that no employee is allowed to have an intimate relationship with a contract actress.
Also interfering with young love is the fact that Marla was raised as a strict Baptist and Frank has a fiancée back home in Fresno. Rules Don’t Apply is incredibly uneven, focusing on one character or story at the expense of others, then returning later to continue where it left off. There’s no consistent narrative that connects the story together and keeps it flowing toward a satisfying conclusion. Once Hughes finally appears on screen, I forgot Marla still existed.
What the movie really needs is some humor. It’s cutesy enough, I suppose, but it’s too flat to be a comedy. On the other hand, it’s too light to be a serious drama. Ehrenreich, who was the standout in a movie for which I had similar feelings, Hail, Caesar, doesn’t demonstrate much charisma here. It may help to remember that Rules Don’t Apply was already in the can when Hail, Caesar began filming, but it still raises concerns about his casting as the young Han Solo.
