The Aviator Flys High

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2005)

To make a film documenting the life of Howard Hughs is an ambitious task. Luckily Matin Scorsese is an ambitious man. However, there are dangers to having a big-name director. As is sometimes the case, they feel that their name alone can carry a film. In other cases, most notably Scorsese's Gangs of New York, the Oscar whoring by the studios make the actual art of film-making feel like an after thought. Now it is known that Harvey Weinstein, The Aviator's executive producer, has made it his personal mission to get Marty a Golden Guy. But, fortunately, this does not carry into the film itself.
Leonardo DiCaprio found fame by playing off his boyish good looks in movies like Romeo + Juliet and Titanic. In those pictures it did not matter that he looked ten years younger than he actually was. Actually, that worked to his advantage. In The Aviator, however, he is playing a man and not a boy. Despite having a mustache and beard in one part, he still looks twelve. Thankfully, though, this is the biggest flaw with his performance. I'm not going to say that his acting (which is career best) over comes this short falling. I will say, though, that this "teenage boy" did a convincing job playing a man.
The Aviator documents Hughes's life from Hell's Angels through his aviation days to the onset of his OCD over taking him completely. The script, although well written in terms of dialogue and character arcs, seemed to skip over the explanation OCD, how it affected Hughes and why more strongly at some times than others. It also playes with his hearing disability, using it only when it aides in a cinematic moment and causes a bigger reaction. When the script is on fire with quick dialogue, Hughes never seems to miss a beat. When he is nervous at a movie premier, he is completely deaf to the reporter's questions.
The difficult task with the film is that it contains many biographical stories. Hughes may be the main one that all the others revolve around, but due to some outstanding work by the supporting cast, the smaller parts are equally as relevant. From Gwen Stefani to Alan Alda, no one is what you expect of them. Kate Beckinsale takes a break form crap like Underworld to show that, if she tried, she could be an actress. Of course, where would this list be without Cate Blanchet, who will finally win her long deserved Oscar this year with a fabulous portrayal of Kate Hepburn; a performance against which all future Katherines will be measured. Once she gets out of the awkward caricature stage she starts out in, there is no stopping her.
Even if it falls sluggish from time to time, the actors hold this one above the water. The actors and the excellent techs, that is. Now if only the Academy would award Marty so that he can go back to making movies where the trophies are the after thoughts. ****/*****