A Great, Complex, Challenging Film

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2005)

This is beautiful, old-school Hollywood film-making infused with life and energy. I think it's hysterical that people are complaining that the film "has no soul" -- that was the same criticism leveled at Scorsese's "Raging Bull" back in '80 (later named the Best Film of the Decade by several critics orgs).
"The Aviator" isn't a touchy-feely biopic. You want that, go see "Ray" or "Finding Neverland". Scorsese's films don't work that way. They don't spoon-feed easy sentiment and they don't reduce people to anecdotes. They're complex, challenging and infinitely more rewarding that either of the other two biopics nominated for Best Picture this year.
Not at the top of my "Best Of" list this year, but certainly my favorite of the Best Picture nominees.