The Aviator (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Aviator' (directed by Martin Scorsese) chronicles the life of Howard Hughes from 1927-1947. He was a multi-talented billionaire, but a man consumed by personal demons. Hughes had a crippling compulsive disorder. And no matter how hard he tried to fight it, the disorder only got worse later in life. He was a man who inherited a fortune from his father, produced blockbuster films, wooed Hollywood starlets, bought TWA, & created the infamous Spruce Goose aircraft. 'The Aviator' has a great director, a great cast, & is impeccably crafted. But after a captivating 90 minutes or so, the remainder of the film contains some draggy indulgences. Many film critics found it flawless; and Roger Ebert even goes as far as to write, "What an enthralling film, 166 minutes & it races past". I admire this movie greatly -- but I can't say I wholly agree with Ebert on that particular sentiment.
'The Aviator' starts with a pre-pubescent Hughes being bathed by his mom. We are to assume that his mom made him as troubled as he was later in life. The next thing we see is him directing Hell's Angels. I know Hughes was quirky, but DiCaprio's portrayal initially made me uncomfortable. I said to myself, 'I won't be able to take 3 hours of Hughes if he was really like that'. See, Leo has a strong presence on film, but the presence is still a bit juvenile (as he was in What's Eating Gilbert Grape & Titanic); almost as if you want to nervously laugh when he conveys anger. So I go back-&-forth on DiCaprio's leading man capabilities. But I note his focus, determination & risk-taking efforts to be a tormented Hughes; and he settles into the role wonderfully as the movie progresses.
We see Hughes' OCD throughout the film. He prefers milk to other beverages; burns his clothes if they're tarnished; won't touch bathroom doorknobs. He can't finish dinner when Errol Flynn (Jude Law) disrupts the placement of peas on his plate. He uses soap so violently on his hands that he actually breaks skin during the act of cleansing. He even repeats sentences incessantly if he feels he had not delivered them properly the 1st time around. I was actually impressed with a scene when Hughes repeats the word 'blueprints' & secludes himself in his car when he realizes he can't stop saying it. I liked DiCaprio's intensity in this scene & was shockingly moved. I felt bad, but due to Hughes' overbearing persona, it's difficult to empathize with him.
Circa 1930, Hughes falls for Katherine Hepburn. Cate Blanchett is amazing at portraying this iconic actress. She imitates her facial expressions, voice, attitude & swagger extremely well. 2 great scenes with Hughes & Hepburn include him letting her pilot his plane, and going to her Connecticut estate to dine with her elitist parents. There is zest, comedy, drama, & revelation in these sequences. Sadly for Hughes, Hepburn leaves him for Spencer Tracy. He then falls for Ava Gardner, played by Kate Beckinsale. Kate is okay, but her character doesn't really go anywhere (narratively). Hughes also woos a 15 yr. old who gets angry when she sees him with Ava. So ... Hughes sleeps with minors? He wasn't a very sympathetic guy, was he?
When Hughes wasn't playboying in Hollywood, he was off designing aircrafts & buying airlines. Late scenes in the film show Hughes wheeling & dealing with Juan Trippe (a wonderfully smarmy Alec Baldwin), President of Pan-Am. Trippe wants to buy TWA from Hughes; and doesn't want Hughes to fly planes over the Atlantic with WWII raging on. Later on, Hughes defends himself against Maine's loathsome Senator Brewster (Alan Alda). I watched in delight as Hughes boldly shot Brewster down in congressional hearings, claiming that he was not a war profiteer & that his new plane would set records in aircraft. But for this entire portion of the film, the confrontation scenes btwn. the various characters become a tad self-important & go on a bit long.
The script devotes as much time to the aviation aspects, as it does to Hughes' women, as it does with his mental illness. So instead of the film feeling all-immersive, there's a disjointed, bloated feel; particularly in the 3rd/4th of the run time. That said, Scorsese directs the hell out of it. The cinematography (where time periods are shot in multi-toned Technicolor for additional depth), 1920/30/40s designs, vintage aircraft, glamorous costumes, music, & special effects are SUPERB. There's an incredible scene where Hughes crashes a plane through an L.A. suburb. And I love the scene when his Spruce Goose takes flight. I nitpick the script only because I was so conscious of it during my 1st viewing. 'The Aviator' is a film up my alley. I appreciate its ambitions & loved its particulars (performances, craftsmanship), but though the film is a majestic throwback to old Hollywood, the plot lacks a certain drive in the 2nd half to make it an A+ knock-out.
'The Aviator' starts with a pre-pubescent Hughes being bathed by his mom. We are to assume that his mom made him as troubled as he was later in life. The next thing we see is him directing Hell's Angels. I know Hughes was quirky, but DiCaprio's portrayal initially made me uncomfortable. I said to myself, 'I won't be able to take 3 hours of Hughes if he was really like that'. See, Leo has a strong presence on film, but the presence is still a bit juvenile (as he was in What's Eating Gilbert Grape & Titanic); almost as if you want to nervously laugh when he conveys anger. So I go back-&-forth on DiCaprio's leading man capabilities. But I note his focus, determination & risk-taking efforts to be a tormented Hughes; and he settles into the role wonderfully as the movie progresses.
We see Hughes' OCD throughout the film. He prefers milk to other beverages; burns his clothes if they're tarnished; won't touch bathroom doorknobs. He can't finish dinner when Errol Flynn (Jude Law) disrupts the placement of peas on his plate. He uses soap so violently on his hands that he actually breaks skin during the act of cleansing. He even repeats sentences incessantly if he feels he had not delivered them properly the 1st time around. I was actually impressed with a scene when Hughes repeats the word 'blueprints' & secludes himself in his car when he realizes he can't stop saying it. I liked DiCaprio's intensity in this scene & was shockingly moved. I felt bad, but due to Hughes' overbearing persona, it's difficult to empathize with him.
Circa 1930, Hughes falls for Katherine Hepburn. Cate Blanchett is amazing at portraying this iconic actress. She imitates her facial expressions, voice, attitude & swagger extremely well. 2 great scenes with Hughes & Hepburn include him letting her pilot his plane, and going to her Connecticut estate to dine with her elitist parents. There is zest, comedy, drama, & revelation in these sequences. Sadly for Hughes, Hepburn leaves him for Spencer Tracy. He then falls for Ava Gardner, played by Kate Beckinsale. Kate is okay, but her character doesn't really go anywhere (narratively). Hughes also woos a 15 yr. old who gets angry when she sees him with Ava. So ... Hughes sleeps with minors? He wasn't a very sympathetic guy, was he?
When Hughes wasn't playboying in Hollywood, he was off designing aircrafts & buying airlines. Late scenes in the film show Hughes wheeling & dealing with Juan Trippe (a wonderfully smarmy Alec Baldwin), President of Pan-Am. Trippe wants to buy TWA from Hughes; and doesn't want Hughes to fly planes over the Atlantic with WWII raging on. Later on, Hughes defends himself against Maine's loathsome Senator Brewster (Alan Alda). I watched in delight as Hughes boldly shot Brewster down in congressional hearings, claiming that he was not a war profiteer & that his new plane would set records in aircraft. But for this entire portion of the film, the confrontation scenes btwn. the various characters become a tad self-important & go on a bit long.
The script devotes as much time to the aviation aspects, as it does to Hughes' women, as it does with his mental illness. So instead of the film feeling all-immersive, there's a disjointed, bloated feel; particularly in the 3rd/4th of the run time. That said, Scorsese directs the hell out of it. The cinematography (where time periods are shot in multi-toned Technicolor for additional depth), 1920/30/40s designs, vintage aircraft, glamorous costumes, music, & special effects are SUPERB. There's an incredible scene where Hughes crashes a plane through an L.A. suburb. And I love the scene when his Spruce Goose takes flight. I nitpick the script only because I was so conscious of it during my 1st viewing. 'The Aviator' is a film up my alley. I appreciate its ambitions & loved its particulars (performances, craftsmanship), but though the film is a majestic throwback to old Hollywood, the plot lacks a certain drive in the 2nd half to make it an A+ knock-out.