Too Big

Rating: 6/10 (6 January 2005)

I am a huge fan of Martin Scorsese. Raging Bull and Goodfellas are two of my favorite movies of all time. They were so good because of the smaller scope of their stories. They were more personal and thus I felt I could get closer to the characters. In Scorcese's two latest films however(Gangs of New York and now The Aviator) he has abandoned the small story for epic biopics. By tackling the grand scale of the life of Howard Hughs in The Aviator, I did not feel the intimacy that made his earlier films so excellent. That is not to say that The Aviator is a poor picture by any means. DiCaprio as Hughs is great and Blanchett is astounding as Hepburn. Her performance should receive recognition by both the foreign press and the academy. Moreover the cinematography (especially in the scenes where Hughs films Hells Angels) is excellent. Nonetheless to me, The Aviator for its lack of intimacy was not an enjoyable film. Because of the hugeness of the film, it drags. I fear that The Aviator will be the big winner this year as it has all the characteristics of recent winners: a famous director, big name actors and an epic plot. I know it would be a crime for Scorsese to never receive an Oscar, but really he is not as deserving for this film as others. What really saved the movie for me was Blanchett's performance. I would not mind seeing her win big this year.