Pretty Much A Movie In Search Of A Purpose

Rating: 2/10 (10 February 2005)

"The Aviator" is tiresomely overlong, anti-climactic, and indeed as purposeless a screen biography as I've ever seen. Further to the film's discredit, Leonardo DiCaprio is overparted in just the way Patty Duke was when she attempted adult roles. Lacking sufficient presence, he too looks annoyingly just like a high school student dressed up to play a grownup. This limitation robs almost all his scenes of any clout. An exception are those in which he debates with a Senate committee and to succeed needs only recite the well written, David Mamet-like lines there given him. Otherwise, he's pretty much a disaster. Even worse, though equally overpraised in the press, is the usually fine actress Cate Blanchett who does not so much act the role of Katherine Hepburn as mimic that great star in the manner of a female impersonator. With her thrust forward jaw and quavering "Howids," she too was impossible to believe for a minute. Two stars to this film for the scenes mentioned, the fine retro ties, and the art deco and forties sets.