Grounded indefinitely

Rating: 6/10 (9 February 2013)

Much like the 'Spruce Goose', Scorsese's film about Howard Hughes is big, shiny and taxis around for nearly two and a half hours before taking off for a very brief flight.
Many actors love to play eccentric characters. However few films have successfully embraced eccentricity; eccentric characters are too self-obsessed, and disinterested in the affect they have on others to engage the audience's sympathies for very long.
And so it is with Martin Scorsese's film about eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes.
Although Leonardo DiCaprio embraces the Hughes' traits – the childish enthusiasm, the eccentricity and the quirky, compulsive habits – he is unable to make his character anything other than irritating.
The film opens as Hughes directs his World War 1 flying movie, "Hell's Angels", and introduces the first of many real-life characters including Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow and Jude Law as Errol Flynn. Eagerly anticipated is the arrival of Kate Hepburn played by Cate Blanchett, and it is almost a relief when she finally enters the film.
Katherine Hepburn, who had a long affair with Hughes during the 1930's, also had one of the most distinctive personalities of all Hollywood actresses – her voice and mannerisms were favourites of impersonators for decades. Blanchett does an impressive job as Hepburn, wisely underplaying and not overdoing the voice. The movie slackens considerably when she leaves the story. Hughes also had an affair with Ava Gardner played by Kate Beckinsale who hardly changes gear in her characterisation.
Leonardo DiCapri works hard in the scenes of Hughes' breakdown caused by a combination of external pressures, serious injuries and inner turmoil. After a series of investigations by senate committees and the FBI, the film closes as Hughes realises, just as Charles Foster Kane does in "Citizen Kane", that no matter the power and wealth he has amassed, he no longer feels the happiness and security he felt as a child.
In playing Senator Owen Brewster, who investigates Hughes' airline towards the end of the film, Alan Alda is unable to move away from his Hawkeye Pierce persona from MASH, delivering yet another variation on the Groucho Marx wisecracking style – not so much funny as relentless.
Alec Baldwin is far more effective as Juan Trippe who eventually brings about the financial collapse of Hughes' Aviation enterprise.
The film has a number of exciting and beautifully shot aerial sequences, two spectacular crashes and the flight of Hughes' over-sized seaplane, the 'Spruce Goose'. All helped along by Howard Shore's soaring score; by turns triumphant, elegant and questioning. It's possibly one of the best scores of the last 5 years.
"The Aviator" is an overlong flight that encompasses much of Hughes' life without shedding much light on what made the man tick. Finally, if we are left with one insight, it is that the capriciousness of very rich, spoilt people can cause a great deal of annoyance to the rest of us.