Great work by Scorsese and his cast

Rating: 9/10 (27 December 2004)

Well directed biopic of Howard Hughes that's probably too ambitious and original to be called a biopic. This is simply the story of Hughes' early, gigantic life where he imagined giant movies, glamorous women, and futuristic airplanes, but was crippled by an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sure, this isn't Scorsese's most personal film, but I never quite thought of him as a straight auteur. A lot of his films do share common themes, but there's always Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, The Age of Innocence, and After Hours. I think of Scorsese first and foremost as a master of the medium, an especially skilled director, and I think The Aviator is one of his greatest directorial triumphs. He is a master of developing the mood of the picture and controlling its pace. It flows beautifully. The film boasts some of the very best acting of the year, too. Leonardo DiCaprio is just coming into his mature period as an actor, and this is his best performance to date. It's definitely Oscar worthy. Cate Blanchett is a marvel playing Katharine Hepburn. At first I wasn't sure if she was just doing a crass imitation, but her character really develops nicely. Cate disappears and we then have Kate. Just try to keep her from carrying home the statuette! Another Kate, Kate Beckinsale, is also very good as Ava Gardener. She's not a great actress, but she holds her own here. Add to them fine supporting performances from John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, and Ian Holm. Also Jude Law, in his fiftieth film appearance of 2004, plays Errol Flynn and is so good that I wanted a lot more. I love films about Golden Age Hollywood, and I like trying to spot the references. One of the best and most entertaining movies of 2004 thus far. 9/10.