The Aviator: Fact or Fiction ?

Rating: Null/10 (21 June 2005)

"The Aviator" has all the great elements of a great film yet its still a typical Hollywood movie. There is a great scene when Katherine Hepburn tells Hughes: "we are not like others, are we Howard?...don't let them(publicity) in because they will make you into a freak". I think Scorsese did exactly that, he doesn't let you into the real life of Howard Hughes. He feeds you what you have heard or read in tabloids over so many years and there is nothing new you will discover in this film.
I don't know why but Aviator didn't feel like Scorsese's film? it looks and feels more like Spielberg or Ron Howard film?. Then again Scorsese's last few films are a far cry from his "Raging Bull" days and this is where I was kind of disappointed because Scorsese use to push the envelope and didn't conform so much to the Hollywoood formula. This film with all its great photography and cast yet it remains an empty film and not the work of a great film maker like Martin Scorsese.
Aviator got a lot of great reviews and nominated for many Oscars and I admit I did enjoy watching it for its masterful film craft but at the same I think there was so much more about the elusive life of the great Howard Hughes that some how this film refused to even make a hint of it. For example its true that Hughes was a great womanizer but its also true that he also liked to sleep with Men; he lived bisexual life for many years, he had many affairs with stars like "Cary Grant" and "Guy Maddison", and even "Gary Cooper", etc,this is all documented in Darwin Porter's book "Howard Hugues: Hell's Angel". This is why again I find the similarities of Spielberg/Ron Howard childish eye candy style of film making, whom both made their own version of books like "Color Purple" and "Beautiful Mind" and decided to omit that dirty little secret.
I just think if you are going to make a film about someone's life why not be more honest; sure Hughes was depicted as being as arrogant with a huge ego but in this day and age to make a film and depict someone so one dimensional which adheres to all myths and tabloids its just playing it too safe for someone like Martin Scorsese. Oliver Stone's film of "Alexandra" may have not gotten such great reviews maybe because he debunked how history had depicted Alexandra, but yet he stated the truth written in History about the Greek way of life at that time and Alexandra's relationships with both men and woman; his sexuality didn't make him less of a man and the same would apply to Hughes. However, Stone refused to compromise his integrity as a film maker and I am really sorry to see Scorsese has in the Aviator, and please don't think I am saying because I some some GAY advocate, because I am not, the truth about Howard Hughes has been well known for years in Hollywood.
I was impressed with De Caprio's performance mostly in the second half of the film; but I still felt he was too young for this role. If you see any photos of Hughes even in his twenties he looked very mature and even older; he was big man, brisk in stature, 6"4 in height and well built. I once saw a TV mini series called "The Great Howard Hughes" played by Tommy Lee Jones and I must say to this day I have yet to see anyone match that performance; because Tommy Lee Jones comes from Texas and even looked like Hughes and he really nailed it, De Caprio doesn't even come close to how Hughes looks or to that performance of Tommy Lee Jones, but for today's young audience they wouldn't even know the difference; De Caprio is picked because he is liked and well known by a wide audience regardless he fit this part or not.
Overall this is a good and entertaining film about a fictional version of Howard Hughes but one really has to question how much is fact and how much is fiction?. Perhaps the court hearing are the high point of the whole film, one has to admire and respect Hughes for his integrity fighting for his beliefs and love of Aviation, I hope one day Mr Scorsese does the same when it comes to making films the way he use to.