LoginFrom the talented Martin Scorsesse comes an admittedly ambitious but compelling and visually stirring biopic on legendary rebel billionaire Howard Hughes. Although it is nearly three hours, I don't think the film dragged that much and I was gripped for the whole duration. My problem is to do with the secondary characters though. The Aviator is one of those films where a lot of detail goes into making the protagonist and a few more key characters convincing and relateable, but the secondary characters aren't given as much attention as well. This is not the first film to have this problem though, Kinsey which was still very good had it too, as did Chaplin. Back on target, actors like Willem Dafoe and Ian Holm are not given that much to do, they do fine with what they have, but their characters have the sense of appearing there one minute and disappearing the next. Another problem was that occasionally the drama was lacking, the story was well constructed and paced, and the themes here are very ambitious, but other than well staged plane scenes parts of the more dramatic parts felt somewhat lukewarm.
Complaints aside, this is still a very good film. First of all, it is amazing to look at, the scenery is gorgeous and the costumes are sumptuous. The music is also a delight, beautiful and poignant, dramatic and haunting in others. I loved the small clips of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, orchestrated here and it works(it was originally written for organ you see), and Tchaikovsky's 5th and 6th Symphonies, the latter of which has a final movement that is so heart-rending as it always reminds me of death, don't ask why though. The Aviator is brilliantly directed by Scorcesse, and the script does have moments of meaningful power. And the acting is pretty exceptional. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his better post-Titanic performances here, he proves he is more than a person that is all looks no talent, for he really is brilliant as Howard Hughes. Cate Blanchett is wonderful as well as Katherine Hepburn, and Kate Beckinsale surprised me. Like DiCaprio, she too proves that she is more than a pretty face by giving a really good account of herself as Ava Gardner while looking absolutely amazing in the process. In a smaller role, Alec Baldwin was also enjoyable.
Overall, not absolutely outstanding, but The Aviator is a very striking, ambitious and compelling biopic. 8/10 Bethany Cox
The Aviator Reviews
The Aviator review
Posted : 2 years, 1 month ago on 21 March 2022 06:43
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The Aviator review
Posted : 10 years, 2 months ago on 2 February 2014 09:31
Visually brilliant biography! One of the biggest contenders for Best Picture, and a surprisingly-mindblowing role for DiCaprio. I really like the style taken in the visual effects and cinematography.
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Detailed with winner acting from Leonardo DiCaprio
Posted : 10 years, 6 months ago on 5 October 2013 08:45
I watched it since it was on Netflix, it had Leonardo DiCaprio and people keep saying good things about it
'The Aviator' is amazing, what a year for history movies ('Downfall' was also brilliant) Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett stole the show in the showcase acting, there was a great cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, John C. Reilly, Kate Beckinsale, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Ian Holm, Danny Huston, Gwen Stefani, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe) The music is wonderful as is the cinematography
To conclude, 'The Aviator' is a great achievement and a must-see for any decent movie lover
'The Aviator' is amazing, what a year for history movies ('Downfall' was also brilliant) Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett stole the show in the showcase acting, there was a great cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, John C. Reilly, Kate Beckinsale, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Ian Holm, Danny Huston, Gwen Stefani, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe) The music is wonderful as is the cinematography
To conclude, 'The Aviator' is a great achievement and a must-see for any decent movie lover
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A great movie
Posted : 13 years, 2 months ago on 30 January 2011 05:59
Even though this flick tends to be overlooked, out of the all movies DiCaprio and Scorsese have made together (including also 'Gangs of New York', 'The Departed', 'Shutting Island' and 'The Wolf of Wall Street'), it is easily my favorite one. Indeed, I thought that the story was spellbinding, the directing, as expected, was just awesome and there was an impressive cast involved as well. Above all, I thought that Howard Hugues was such a fascinating character. Of course, I have no idea if this portrait was really faithful or not but I just loved this portrait of this tormented genius who was suffering from his obsessions. It was definitely one of the most neurotic figure I have seen in a movie and the fact that he was handsome, rich and brilliant made the whole thing even more spellbinding to watch. My only critic would be that towards the end the whole thing tend to loose some focus and it then drags down a little bit but, a part from that, it was pretty much flawless. Eventually, I think the main reason that it wasn’t a greater success was because the audience was still struggling to take Leonardo DiCaprio seriously. I mean, if they would make this movie today, I have no doubt that it would be a much bigger critical success. Anyway, to conclude, I really loved this movie and I think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Martin Scorsese's work.
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Aviator doesn't just fly...it soars!
Posted : 15 years, 3 months ago on 4 January 2009 01:57
''The way of the future.''
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career, from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s.
Leonardo DiCaprio: Howard Hughes
Martin Scorsese keeps it real with Avaitor. There's none of the foul language or gratuitous violence that characterized some of his most famous mob films, like Casino or Goodfellas. He has crafted a very interesting character study biopic of famous entrepreneur Howard Hughes, master of aerospace and maker of B-movies.
You see plenty his involvement in both enterprises in this piece Scorsese delivers. Leonardo DiCaprio seems a little too boyish to play Hughes when he is in his forties, but he clearly is so passionate about his role that you forget the little indiscretions such as age difference. He plays Hughes with so much energy that he makes the role all his own, making it pretty clear DiCaprio is having fun with this role. Those who dislike hammy acting, may think of DiCaprio as over-the-top, but I was positively taken by it. His portrayal of Hughes' various neuroses and compulsions make this a very compelling story to watch, mirroring Johnny Depp's portrayal of the equally odd and neurotic, surreal Ed Wood.
The other actors do fine turns. Cate Blanchett is fun to watch as the upper-crust actress Katherine Hepburn. She seems to be having as much enjoyment with her role as DiCaprio, and she's not afraid to ham it up as well. Kate Beckinsdale is fine as Ava Gardner, and John C. Reilly does a serviceable job as Hughes' long-suffering accountant.
''I care very much about aviation.''
Scorsese does a competent job attempting to portray his version of Howard Hughes' life. He tries to cram down the message of an eccentric man with huge visions that no one else can comprehend. He seems mad when he tries to re-do and innovate his movies or his aircraft. Sometimes his compulsive behavior gets in the way of his dreams, but in the end he deftly fights off the skepticism of his collaborators or the threats from the competition, in the form of Pan Am founder Juan Trippe. He, like Tim Burton's Ed Wood, is an oddball who perseveres and usually gets his way in the end. Burton's is the better movie, however, because it does not have the gloss of triumphalism that Scorsese's movie does. Scorsese tries to portray Hughes as a sympathetic and ambitious individual, and while he may have plenty of ambition, he is not exactly a more sympathetic individual than, say, his airline rival Juan Trippe. Viewers can see through the attempted good-guy image that Scorsese gives Hughes to see the battle between the airlines as one of survival of the fittest.
Leonardo DiCaprio seems to have replaced Robert DeNiro as Scorsese's muse, and despite a disappointing turn in the sub-standard 'Gangs of New York', DiCaprio shines here and really does well as the rich, yet troubled, Hollywood icon at the centre of this story. Scorsese seems to have a bit overboard with the cast, as several big names of the present appear as big names of the past. Cate Blanchett irritated me just as much as the real Katherine Hepburn did, which shows the greatness of her performance. Kate Beckinsale and, surprisingly, Gwen Stefani give life to two of Hollywood's golden girls: Ava Gardner and Jean Harlow as well, while smaller roles such as that of the charismatic Errol Flyn fall to the likes of Jude Law. This was the film's major selling point for me - there's something great about the big stars of today portraying the big stars of the golden age, and the way that Scorsese populates almost every scene with the big names of the time ensures that this is as much a film fan's movie as it is a multi-million dollar blockbuster. Critics can complain about a lack of substance as much as they like, but what I saw here was an excellently stylish take on one of Hollywood's most intriguing figures, and I don't hesitate to call this Scorsese's shot at a dazzling biopic epic.
''Men can't be friends with women Howard. They must posses them or leave them be. It’s a primitive urge from caveman days. It’s all in Darwin. Hunt the flesh. Kill the flesh. Eat the flesh. That's the, ah, male sex all over.''
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career, from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s.
Leonardo DiCaprio: Howard Hughes
Martin Scorsese keeps it real with Avaitor. There's none of the foul language or gratuitous violence that characterized some of his most famous mob films, like Casino or Goodfellas. He has crafted a very interesting character study biopic of famous entrepreneur Howard Hughes, master of aerospace and maker of B-movies.
You see plenty his involvement in both enterprises in this piece Scorsese delivers. Leonardo DiCaprio seems a little too boyish to play Hughes when he is in his forties, but he clearly is so passionate about his role that you forget the little indiscretions such as age difference. He plays Hughes with so much energy that he makes the role all his own, making it pretty clear DiCaprio is having fun with this role. Those who dislike hammy acting, may think of DiCaprio as over-the-top, but I was positively taken by it. His portrayal of Hughes' various neuroses and compulsions make this a very compelling story to watch, mirroring Johnny Depp's portrayal of the equally odd and neurotic, surreal Ed Wood.
The other actors do fine turns. Cate Blanchett is fun to watch as the upper-crust actress Katherine Hepburn. She seems to be having as much enjoyment with her role as DiCaprio, and she's not afraid to ham it up as well. Kate Beckinsdale is fine as Ava Gardner, and John C. Reilly does a serviceable job as Hughes' long-suffering accountant.
''I care very much about aviation.''
Scorsese does a competent job attempting to portray his version of Howard Hughes' life. He tries to cram down the message of an eccentric man with huge visions that no one else can comprehend. He seems mad when he tries to re-do and innovate his movies or his aircraft. Sometimes his compulsive behavior gets in the way of his dreams, but in the end he deftly fights off the skepticism of his collaborators or the threats from the competition, in the form of Pan Am founder Juan Trippe. He, like Tim Burton's Ed Wood, is an oddball who perseveres and usually gets his way in the end. Burton's is the better movie, however, because it does not have the gloss of triumphalism that Scorsese's movie does. Scorsese tries to portray Hughes as a sympathetic and ambitious individual, and while he may have plenty of ambition, he is not exactly a more sympathetic individual than, say, his airline rival Juan Trippe. Viewers can see through the attempted good-guy image that Scorsese gives Hughes to see the battle between the airlines as one of survival of the fittest.
Leonardo DiCaprio seems to have replaced Robert DeNiro as Scorsese's muse, and despite a disappointing turn in the sub-standard 'Gangs of New York', DiCaprio shines here and really does well as the rich, yet troubled, Hollywood icon at the centre of this story. Scorsese seems to have a bit overboard with the cast, as several big names of the present appear as big names of the past. Cate Blanchett irritated me just as much as the real Katherine Hepburn did, which shows the greatness of her performance. Kate Beckinsale and, surprisingly, Gwen Stefani give life to two of Hollywood's golden girls: Ava Gardner and Jean Harlow as well, while smaller roles such as that of the charismatic Errol Flyn fall to the likes of Jude Law. This was the film's major selling point for me - there's something great about the big stars of today portraying the big stars of the golden age, and the way that Scorsese populates almost every scene with the big names of the time ensures that this is as much a film fan's movie as it is a multi-million dollar blockbuster. Critics can complain about a lack of substance as much as they like, but what I saw here was an excellently stylish take on one of Hollywood's most intriguing figures, and I don't hesitate to call this Scorsese's shot at a dazzling biopic epic.
''Men can't be friends with women Howard. They must posses them or leave them be. It’s a primitive urge from caveman days. It’s all in Darwin. Hunt the flesh. Kill the flesh. Eat the flesh. That's the, ah, male sex all over.''
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A waste of celluloid.
Posted : 15 years, 11 months ago on 14 May 2008 05:18
"The way of the future..."
Martin Scorsese established himself as one of the best directors in Hollywood. With each new movie the crazed Scorsese fanatics praise the movie like it's the second coming.
When I watched The Aviator I was never a fan or hater of Scorsese. I am fond of some of his movies for sure. GoodFellas in particular is still a superb piece of movie-making. I had heard so much appraisal of The Aviator and decided that it was time for me to see what the ruckus is about. Unfortunately my viewing concluded with feeling of dissatisfaction and boredom.
This biopic of eccentric rich lunatic Howard Hughes is 3 hours of complete and utter monotony! After about the first half an hour I was already tempted to drift off to sleep. But I kept telling myself that there must be something interesting about to occur. Nothing interesting or engaging ever did occur. When the film ended I was glad that I could finally roll over and go to sleep. I watched this film with my parents. We sometimes have conflicting views on the quality of a movie. With this film we all agreed strongly that The Aviator is pointless and extraordinarily boring! In my opinion I can't see anyone being interested unless they're a specialist in aviation.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes as the film chronicles his life during the 1940s. As the film opens he's in the middle of making a movie called Hell's Angels. That's the only interesting part of the movie. I thought that the first half an hour was quite captivating. The filmmaking process had me interested because it had an interesting story to tell. But from there everything went downhill; I didn't see any evidence of a plot, I never found anything at all interesting.
The Aviator is stretched out beyond all belief, dull and devoid of any life. DiCaprio is tragically distracting in the title role. He has done some mediocre work in the past, and some good work. We can add this film to his list of mediocre performances. Everything seemed so forced and contrived. He tries but modestly fails. That's the bottom line. Cate Blanchett, on the other hand, was truly magnificent in her role. It's just such a shame she disappears after the first half. Blanchett was understandably presented with an Oscar. She was flawless. Maybe if Scorsese used her properly she could have saved the film.
The screenplay must have weighed a tonne. It's loads and loads of dialogue lacking any emotional spine. This makes the film seem very shallow, disingenuous and cursory.
I thought that the cinematography and the special effects looked fantastic. I was disappointed with the limited opportunities to showcase such breathtaking cinematography. It seems that there was potential in every aspect of the filmmaking; it's just that Scorsese under-uses all his solid resources.
The Aviator had everything going for it - it's a biopic of an extraordinary man with a good cast and a great director. But it is not in the least bit entertaining or interesting. This is another classic case of focusing on aspects of the story rather than the entertainment value for the viewer. Leave this one on the shelf...for your own good and well-being. Overrated, over-hyped, long, convoluted and incredibly boring. The Aviator will put you to sleep. (People who suffer from insomnia...go buy it!)
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OK, he's crazy. I get it.
Posted : 16 years, 9 months ago on 21 July 2007 02:40
Howard Hughes was a brilliant, rich lunatic. And this movie made me realize that he was probably always mentally unstable (where I thought he had gone crazy later in life). I thought the acting was very good, and although I am not a fan of Leo, I really believed he was Howard Hughes. My problem with the movie was the length. I think Scorses could have made his point about Mr. Hughes mental problems with much less film time. There have been many movies about OC people, and I think the general public understands it fairly well. I felt like I was being talked down to about it. It was far more interesting to see how the people in his life had to deal with it. I think they could have cut an hour off this movie and I would have liked it better.
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The Aviator
Posted : 17 years, 4 months ago on 6 December 2006 06:02
Martin Scorsese's portrayal of Howard Hughes is by far one of the best biographies I have seen on the big screen. Leonardo DiCaprio is brilliant with his on-screen transition into the later, more crazed years of Hughes' life. Although this movie displayed the known historical background of Howard Hughes and his rise in the aviation world, I would love to see a movie based on his involvement in the Gemstone Files of Bruce Roberts.
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