Review of The Aviator (2004) by Byron B — 21 May 2013
Howard Hughes, who only directed two pictures and produced a couple dozen, who dated movie stars like Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner, is properly titled The Aviator in this Scorsese pic. Hughes is presented as a visionary, risk-taking financier of progress in the airplane industry.
His mysophobia and other mental issues are only explored with a type of pop psychology and therefore remain strange and unclear. DiCaprio looks impossibly young throughout. He portrays Hughes' great ego and nervous ticks well.
I loved the whole recreation of old Hollywood. Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn is mesmerizing. None of the actors are made up to exactly replicate the looks of their real life counterparts, but Blanchett captures the essence of Hepburn.
Of course, Kate Hepburn was a unique character herself. Baldwin's Trippe from the competing airline was an uninteresting villain, however Alda's Senator Brewster was an intriguing foil leading up to the Hughes' senate hearings.
In the end it looked grand, but I didn't really feel that I knew who Hughes was.
This review of The Aviator (2004) was written by Byron B on 21 May 2013.
The Aviator has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
