Blissfully, wonderfully, beautifully perfect

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2005)

The Aviator Review by Joshua Morrall
Rating: 5/5
There is nothing, absolutely nothing, no matter how hard I scratch with my unkempt nails to find something, there remains not a single element of The Aviator that is not blissfully, wonderfully, beautifully perfect.
Martin Scorsese has helmed forty projects, and his lack of an Oscar has been chuckled about in the film world for some years now. It is a credit to him, the five foot film school graduate, that he has remained fully focused on producing motion pictures that captivate the audience, and offer a purity of cinematic excellence rarely seen on screens today.
Scorsese's most recent production, The Aviator, is the life story of the legendary Howard Hughes, huge budget movie director, playboy, pioneer and what many would call a psychopath. Hughes broke boundaries when he directed and produced the war epic Hell's Angels. His addiction to aviation was funded by his mammoth inheritance and profit margin, although he almost lost it all as he became obsessed with producing the most mammoth and modern aeroplanes the world had ever seen.
In the role of Hughes is Leonardo DiCaprio. Any of you who consider him a talentless heart throb should be ashamed of their pitiful ignorance and analyse his almost faultless performances in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Catch Me If You Can, The Basketball Diaries, This Boy's Life (to name but a few). Here, DiCaprio takes his method to an entirely new level, believable and arresting as both the playboy and the manic. DiCaprio's nervous ticks are a joy to behold, from his nervous cough at the sight of germs to his utter uncontrollable terror as a disabled man approaches him after using the bathroom. Best Actor? Very much deserved.
Cate Blanchett, apparently Scorsese's first choice for the role of Katherine Hepburn, is transformed completely into the reincarnation of the four time Oscar winner. The New England accent is faultless, as are the mannerisms and the classy Hepburn swagger. Truly a fantastic performance. Best Actress? Certainly.
Even the usually irritating but constantly alluring Kate Beckinsale turns in a great performance, definitely worthy of Academy notification. She is alleged to have put on twenty pounds for the role and she comes out looking fresh faced and mouth watering. Her chemistry with DiCaprio is very playful, contrasting the mother son undercurrent that pervades between DiCaprio and Blanchett.
Performances from John C. Reilly and the reborn Alec Baldwin are of a very high standard also. It seems unfair to name just two actors when all gave award winning performances, yet somehow, despite the quality of the supporting cast, the leads still manage to have an extra spark that makes the tense moments in the film even more exhilarating to watch.
Scorsese's direction is clearly painstaking. As the years past, the quality of the film changes also, the colour tones reflecting how films would have looked at the time. The beautifully painted shots are matched by the costumes, set design and even special effects, something quite rare for Scorsese. His old school approach to action is phenomenal to behold, Hughes' crash into the houses in Beverly Hills is an incredible five minutes, the breath taking pace of the machine gun editing (which rips through the screen and tears you up inside) is bettered only by the vibrant sharpness of the real flames, something rarely seen in big budget movies now, who settle instead for the dull, flat fires produced using CGI.
From beginning to end, with stunning sequences throughout (especially the Senate hearing), The Aviator is a beautiful picture with flawless performances, wonderful cinematography and extravagant mise-en-scene. There is no doubt about it: The Aviator soars high above all of the competition.