Film review: The Aviator.
I caught this in the cinema some six months ago, and immediately loved it. Can't tell for sure why I didn't write a review then, but I'm glad I didn't, because this cinematic masterpiece gets even better on a second viewing.
The Aviator; a film about aviation innovator Howard Hughes. About womanizer Howard Hughes. About movie mogul Howard Hughes. About psychopath Howard Hughes. Any one of these would have made an interesting film, but all four elements combined make for sheer brilliance. After seeing this film for the second time not more than half an hour ago, three men have gained my utmost respect.
Howard Hughes.
For a man who inherited $17 million (which is considerable in this day and age, but we're talking 1924 here) at the age of 19, due to his parents dying early yet separate deaths, he did quite well. He went to Hollywood to conquer the movie industry and succeeding magnificently, and when he got bored with that, he revolutionised the entire aviation industry in under a decade. I'm sure he has his downsides (such as the drug addictions) which aren't delved into in this film, but still; I'd be tempted to call this man an American hero if I didn't hate that phrase so much.
Martin Scorsese.
Truth be told, I'm not all that familiar with Scorsese's older work, so I cannot say if this is Scorsese returning to form, but it is certainly a very strong piece of direction that simply screams class and style; he made the material his own. Complicated shots, such as one-take tracking-shots across crowded rooms and through mid-air dogfights all make this film look great without seeming overly flashy. Scorsese's eye for detail is brilliant; he captures the spirit of the era (1927 -1947), from the vibrant colors to the lush costumes, to the garish (and somewhat scary) club performers. With The Aviator, Scorcese has gotten as close to an epic as he could without donning a gladiator helmet or parting the Red Sea.
Leonardo DiCaprio.
DiCaprio's character study of Howard Hughes, and his devotion to this role, is quite exquisite and eerily reminiscent even of Robert De Niro's portrayal of Jake La Motta in Raging Bull, that other Scorcese masterpiece. DiCaprio carries the film and does so with a superb, consistently on target performance. It's clearly his best work since Gilbert Grape and The Basketball Diaries. Here, he delivers a dynamic, smart, funny, articulate, intense, mature and ultimately harrowing performance that hopefully establishes him as one of American's finest actors.
Visually, the film is just right. The cinematography is ravishing, over a wide variety of settings and environments. The production design is a bit over the top, but it emphasized how outsized Hughes's environment actually was, as a billionaire controlling a massive aviation empire, and as a Hollywood hot-shot living it up in the glamorous nightlife.
What amazed me most of all, was the use of special effects, which is something Scorsese rarely does. However, for a relative newcomer to CG effects, he succeeds in blending them seemlessly into the visuals of the film. This film is drenched with computer generated images, they're all over the place, but I dare you to find five. Of course you'll be able to guess that the flight sequences are CGI, but the thing is, can you positively tell?
And finally, the cast. Despite 'competing' with a host of stars, Leonardo DiCaprio, as mentioned above, pulls off the title role admirably. The likes of Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Ian Holm and Alan Alda all put in excellent work, so delightful that even the cameo of Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow can't mess it up. However, the show-stealer, besides Leo, was the flawless re-creation of screen legend Katharine Hepburn by Cate Blanchett, whose character is a vibrant breath of fresh air against a backdrop of the hectic 20's, 30's and 40's. She deserved that oscar; and damn Jamie Foxx to hell for winning best male.
This film is many, many things, but most of all, it's a war story; a war between Howard's unstoppable will and his fierce inner demons. This contrast is the true heart of the film; one that fuels his eccentric brilliance and yet constantly threatens to rip his life to shreds. He tries to ignore this by sleeping with every famous actress in town; he tries to outrun it, by building bigger and faster airplanes. But at the same time, this internal conflict is his one constant companion from early childhood to his inescapable end. And it is this conflict, Howard Hughes as opposed to Howard Hughes, that leaves you devastated at the end of the film.
Classic.
a 90 out of 100.
Cheers
The Aviator; a film about aviation innovator Howard Hughes. About womanizer Howard Hughes. About movie mogul Howard Hughes. About psychopath Howard Hughes. Any one of these would have made an interesting film, but all four elements combined make for sheer brilliance. After seeing this film for the second time not more than half an hour ago, three men have gained my utmost respect.
Howard Hughes.
For a man who inherited $17 million (which is considerable in this day and age, but we're talking 1924 here) at the age of 19, due to his parents dying early yet separate deaths, he did quite well. He went to Hollywood to conquer the movie industry and succeeding magnificently, and when he got bored with that, he revolutionised the entire aviation industry in under a decade. I'm sure he has his downsides (such as the drug addictions) which aren't delved into in this film, but still; I'd be tempted to call this man an American hero if I didn't hate that phrase so much.
Martin Scorsese.
Truth be told, I'm not all that familiar with Scorsese's older work, so I cannot say if this is Scorsese returning to form, but it is certainly a very strong piece of direction that simply screams class and style; he made the material his own. Complicated shots, such as one-take tracking-shots across crowded rooms and through mid-air dogfights all make this film look great without seeming overly flashy. Scorsese's eye for detail is brilliant; he captures the spirit of the era (1927 -1947), from the vibrant colors to the lush costumes, to the garish (and somewhat scary) club performers. With The Aviator, Scorcese has gotten as close to an epic as he could without donning a gladiator helmet or parting the Red Sea.
Leonardo DiCaprio.
DiCaprio's character study of Howard Hughes, and his devotion to this role, is quite exquisite and eerily reminiscent even of Robert De Niro's portrayal of Jake La Motta in Raging Bull, that other Scorcese masterpiece. DiCaprio carries the film and does so with a superb, consistently on target performance. It's clearly his best work since Gilbert Grape and The Basketball Diaries. Here, he delivers a dynamic, smart, funny, articulate, intense, mature and ultimately harrowing performance that hopefully establishes him as one of American's finest actors.
Visually, the film is just right. The cinematography is ravishing, over a wide variety of settings and environments. The production design is a bit over the top, but it emphasized how outsized Hughes's environment actually was, as a billionaire controlling a massive aviation empire, and as a Hollywood hot-shot living it up in the glamorous nightlife.
What amazed me most of all, was the use of special effects, which is something Scorsese rarely does. However, for a relative newcomer to CG effects, he succeeds in blending them seemlessly into the visuals of the film. This film is drenched with computer generated images, they're all over the place, but I dare you to find five. Of course you'll be able to guess that the flight sequences are CGI, but the thing is, can you positively tell?
And finally, the cast. Despite 'competing' with a host of stars, Leonardo DiCaprio, as mentioned above, pulls off the title role admirably. The likes of Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Ian Holm and Alan Alda all put in excellent work, so delightful that even the cameo of Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow can't mess it up. However, the show-stealer, besides Leo, was the flawless re-creation of screen legend Katharine Hepburn by Cate Blanchett, whose character is a vibrant breath of fresh air against a backdrop of the hectic 20's, 30's and 40's. She deserved that oscar; and damn Jamie Foxx to hell for winning best male.
This film is many, many things, but most of all, it's a war story; a war between Howard's unstoppable will and his fierce inner demons. This contrast is the true heart of the film; one that fuels his eccentric brilliance and yet constantly threatens to rip his life to shreds. He tries to ignore this by sleeping with every famous actress in town; he tries to outrun it, by building bigger and faster airplanes. But at the same time, this internal conflict is his one constant companion from early childhood to his inescapable end. And it is this conflict, Howard Hughes as opposed to Howard Hughes, that leaves you devastated at the end of the film.
Classic.
a 90 out of 100.
Cheers
3 Comments:
My friend kept punching me throughout this movie (it was my fault we saw this) and she was right... I hated this movie.
Fair enough - it is a love-it-or-hate-it kinda film. I saw it with a friend and my girlfriend, and the both of them didn't really like it.
I loved it, though.
Cheers
It was good. Cate Blanchet was awesome. I mean, just awesome. But for some reason I just don't love the movie.
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