Entertaining and well done biopic

Rating: 8/10 (4 September 2005)

I'm not usually a fan of biopics, or even Martin Scorsese films in general, but surprisingly enough; this one, in spite of it's lukewarm critical reaction, is actually really good, and definitely well worth seeing. Much of the criticism landed on The Aviator has come about because of the fact that it's not very deep and while this is a problem for the film, it didn't upset me too much because what we do have is a stylish and always interesting film, which evenly covers up it's shortfall in substance with it's positive aspects. The film follows the story of Howard Hughes; an aeroplane and filmmaker in Hollywood's golden era. The film starts during the troubled shoot of Hughes' debut film; Hell's Angels, and ends somewhat prematurely as Hughes is still a young man. We are never really allowed to get into the subject's head, but this doesn't seem to be an accident, as it was obvious to me that Scorsese was more interested in portraying the history behind the man than his psychological profile. Scorsese gives us enough of the man to keep us interested in him, but stays true to the facts of his life to an extent in which the film is always kept interesting.
Leonardo DiCaprio seems to have replaced Robert DeNiro as Scorsese's muse, and despite a disappointing turn in the sub-standard 'Gangs of New York', DiCaprio shines here and really does well as the rich, yet troubled, Hollywood icon at the centre of this story. Scorsese seems to have a bit overboard with the cast, as several big names of the present appear as big names of the past. Cate Blanchett irritated me just as much as the real Katherine Hepburn did, which shows the greatness of her performance. Kate Beckinsale and, surprisingly, Gwen Stefani give life to two of Hollywood's golden girls; Ava Gardner and Jean Harlow as well, while smaller roles such as that of the charismatic Errol Flyn fall to the likes of Jude Law. This was the film's major selling point for me - there's something great about the big stars of today portraying the big stars of the golden age, and the way that Scorsese populates almost every scene with the big names of the time ensures that this is as much a film fan's movie as it is a multi-million dollar blockbuster. Critics can complain about a lack of substance as much as they like, but what I saw here was an excellently stylish take on one of Hollywood's most intriguing figures, and I don't hesitate to call this Scorsese's finest hour since Goodfellas back in 1990.