The Aviator Review
by Bob Bloom (bob AT bloomink DOT com)December 27th, 2004
THE AVIATOR (2004) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Jude Law, Gwen Stefani, Matt Ross, Adam Scott, Ian Holm, Danny Houston and Kelli Garner. Director of photography Robert Richardson. Production designer Dante Ferretti. Screenplay by John Logan. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Rated R. Running time: Approx: 169 mins.
Today when someone hears the name Howard Hughes, the image that is brought to mind is the eccentric recluse who hid himself away from the world in a Las Vegas hotel, a paranoid individual who believed everything around him was bugged and that his enemies were everywhere.
But that is a disservice to a man who, during the 1930s when the idea of soaring through the sky captured the imagination of the nation, and the men — and women — who challenged the birds for supremacy of the air were looked upon as heroes.
Hughes was such a man. He was an industrialist from Houston, Texas, who was an innovator, a risk-taker and a movie producer.Hughes' story has been brought to life by Martin Scorsese in The Aviator.
Scorsese's biography only captures a slice of Hughes' live, but it is the most glamorous and tumultuous time, from the late 1920s when the young Hughes came to Hollywood to film his World War I air epic, Hell's Angels, to just after World War II when he proved to the world that his giant wooden plane, derisively nicknamed the Spruce Goose, could indeed fly.
It was during these years that Hughes also produced Scarface and the infamous, The Outlaw. In the air, he founded Hughes Aircraft Co., set speed records, developed bigger and faster planes and founded Trans World Airlines. And on the ground, he wooed such actresses as Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner.
Hughes was a complex and driven individual, a perfectionist who would not accept half measures no matter what the endeavor be it a movie or an airplane. And he expected the same from his employees.
Scorsese offers no clues for Hughes' compulsiveness, but he does offer an explanation for the man's phobia about germs, and it is the most artificial part of the movie.
The film opens on Howard as a young boy standing naked in a tub as he mother thoroughly washes him, telling him about the cholera epidemic sweeping Houston and instilling in him the notion and fear that all around him are dirty, that everything contains germs that could kill him. It's Freudian hokiness. Thankfully, John Logan's script improves immensely from that point.
As Hughes, Leonardo DiCaprio, in his second collaboration with Scorsese, gives a wonderfully shaded performance.
DiCaprio easily displays the man's drive and charisma, which charmed those who worked for him as well as the movie stars he dated, but at the same time affects the odd behavior which, in the end, would come to dominate Hughes' life.
Cate Blanchett nearly steals the film as Hepburn. Her impersonation of the legendary actress is superb. She captures Hepburn's cadence, her manner and her prideful arrogance.
At first, it seems like Blanchett is merely doing a very broad Hepburn imitation, but as she gets into the character, she reveals not only Hepburn's toughness, but her compassion and verve for life.
As Ava Gardner, Kate Beckinsale is all fire and sexiness. She is a woman who refuses Hughes' offers of jewels and gems. You can buy me dinner, but you can't buy me, she tells Hughes early in their relationship.
Later, when Hughes asks her to marry him, she quickly says no, bluntly telling him that she doesn't love him.
In a less showy part than his recent roles in The Good Girl, The Hours and Chicago, John C. Reilly plays Noah Dietrich, who oversees Hughes' business affairs. He is the voice of reason, of caution, always reminding Hughes how much his dreams and schemes are costing him and his companies.
Scorsese and his production team do a masterful job recreating the look and styles of the 1930s and '40s. The gorgeous sets, the music, the costumes, all evoke an era when larger-than-life figures such as Hughes made headlines by merely escorting a prominent actress to a fancy nightclub.
At two hours and 49 minutes, Scorsese keeps The Aviator moving. Mixing high-flying sequences, drama and bits of humor he creates a time capsule of Hughes' glory years; a time when he could spread his wings and soar before being grounded by mental illness.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at [email protected].
Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com or at the Internet Movie Database Web site:
www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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