Hughes life does not lend itself to film.

Rating: 4/10 (29 May 2005)

Three biopics were nominated for the Best Picture of 2005: Finding Neverland, Ray, and The Aviator. After seeing both Finding Neverland and Ray--which were well made films with an appropriate story arc--I expected similar quality in The Aviator. Boy, was I disappointed.
Howard Hughes certainly led an interesting life. But by failing to focus upon a particular area of his life, this film was ultimately a meandering, bloated mess. Screenwriter Logan attempted to piece together several stories from the middle third of Hughes life into a coherent story. He failed. There was no discernible theme in this overlong, frequently dull movie. And whatever talents Scorsese may have as a director, they do not lie in storytelling.
On the upside, the acting was superb across the board. The film looks glorious, especially during the in-flight shots. And several of the narratives worked well enough as stand-alones--especially the Pan Am vs. TWA battle.
But ultimately, this movie simply does not work. There is too much material for the time (even at 2 hours and 40 minutes). And it lacked the grand unifying theme or story arc it needed. Rent if you must, but don't get your hopes up.