A Film Worth Watching!

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2015)

As you can see by the date that this review is published, it appears that I am a little late to the party. However, the quality of this film as well as the talent involved convinced me to write this review.
This is a great film. Alan Alda and Leonardo Dicaprio both played amazing parts, while Alec Baldwin acted with a sincerity that I've not seen since his role as Jack Ryan fourteen years prior to this film. If you are reading this review you've probably heard your share of gushing over Mr. Dicaprio's acting prowess, (if not just check out the message boards), so i'll try not to yammer for too long.
Well, here it is; Dicaprio skillfully masters the character of Howard Hughes. He simultaneously plays a high profile genius with expensive tastes, and a man tortured by germaphobia, OCD, and a host of other issues.
For example: Early in the movie, Hughes requests milk in its original bottle with a cap on it. One's first thought is "He's rich, he gets what he wants." It's not until the story progresses further that one realizes that Howard is actually afraid of contamination by germs.
Martin Scorsese's work in this production is also amazing not only is the filming spectacular, but the 20s, 30s, and 40s aesthetics are all very convincing. Another neat little twist is the process used to make the coloring start out very primitive, but progress in sophistication as years in the film go by. However, this was not obvious. I didn't know this until i checked IMDb wondering "what the heck those blue things he ordered were".
In one scene of the movie while Kate Hepburn and Howard Hughes are playing golf, they begin to discuss their own cinematic tastes. Hepburn, remarking on Scarface states that movies should be distinctly different from real life. Hughes states in return that movies should actually be gritty and realistic.
I spent the rest of this scene mulling this query over in my head. Finally I brilliantly concluded that I wasn't quite sure which school of thought I agreed with.
The Aviator seems to share my lack of an answer. Sometimes the aviator is a fun high-flying adventure, and sometimes it is a dark and intense character study.
It is the combination of these two films that make The Aviator a film worth watching.