great movie with an "updated" period feel

Rating: Null/10 (4 February 2005)

Martin Scorsese is undoubtedly one of the great living masters of motion pictures.
The Aviator succeeds as a motion picture, not so much as a drama. I think this has to do with the changing of times. Persons looked, spoke and behaved totally different some 70 years ago. The actors all generally look too sweet, too gorgeous for the roles of real-life actors they portray (that is: when compared 1:1 with the originals).
When we look at the original actors on old movies or newsreels, they were much edgier, much louder and in a way even cruder. People in general clearly have become sweeter looking and more soft spoken. Even the most brilliant casting would not be able to produce a closer resemblance - and I cannot think of a better cast.
Of course Cate Blanchett stands out for her Kate Hapburn portrayal not only concerning the voice and behavior but also the hard part: beneath that skinny, bright, talented, tomboyish upper class chatterbox there was a gorgeous and lovable woman who does care. Remarkable (both the original Kate and Cate (destiny?) Blanchett !
On a technical level the movie fully succeeds. The computer generated effects fit seamlessly into the live action. The carefully controlled colors and film grain are an eyeful to behold. There is a lot of testosterone in this movie as well. Pure male pioneer spirit. The aircraft all look breathtaking - of course men can better understand why one would drool over the deafening sound of an old radial engine and why someone's heart would pound faster just by looking at all these classic precision crafted Mitchell movie cameras (I am still drooling). This definitely is a movie about (and for) boys and their toys.
I found it more than adequate that no attempt was made to "explain" Howard Hughes obsessive compulsive behavior. We are just presented with the drama of that mental disorder. Any "explanation" (I am still not over the ending of Hitchckock's Psycho) would have taken away from the mystery of the man.
The same goes for Huges' totally insane business decisions with his loyal personal employees doing the best to hold everything together. We don't know if Huges' was acting on instinct, impulse, knowledge, relying on luck, had a vision or something else. That's the whole point: no one knew. It is a surprise how articulate he appears opposite Alan Alda (brilliant as usual) during the public hearings.
Leo di Caprio gives a great portrait. Of course he looks more boyish and more handsome than the real Hughes, but we are living in the 2000s and our minds interpret persons in a different way now. In a way this movie updates the characters for the actual times we live in.
The women in this movie all look drop-dead gorgeous, not like their real life counterparts but most likely very much as they appeared to someone some 70 years ago.
One small observation: great English stage actor Ian Holm, still best remembered as Ash the robot from Ridlety Scott's Alien, is once again totally underused in a role as a sincere scientist. Please give that man some better roles in the near future. Nevertheless a nice touch.
Great movie - the three hours flew by. Literally.