THE AVIATOR
Unlike two years ago where the competition was absolutely fierce and Martin Scorsese‘s amazing film Gangs of New York missed out on Oscar gold while collecting two Golden Globes and a SAG Award, this year Scorsese’s Howard Hughes biopic, The Aviator, is ready to light up big screens everywhere as it has a huge chance at a large amount of nominations and its eyes firmly set on a couple of major awards.
While a Best Picture nom is definitely in the cards and The Aviator is most likely the frontrunner for the award, considering it is really the only good epic film of the year with the lackluster success of Warner Bros. Troy and Alexander, but there is much more to The Aviator than just a shot at Best Picture.
Scorsese may be the best director out there right now that has not won an Oscar (as of yet), and his mantle sure could use a Golden Knight to go along with the Globe he won for Gangs and this just may be the year. It is amazing to look at his resume and such films as Raging Bull and Taxi Driver, to name a few and think that he has yet-to-be recognized. With The Aviator he continues the brilliance he has set forth before and reminds us all why we love his movies.
On top of the directorial kudos this film is due to receive Leonardo DiCaprio is not convinced the Oscar should be set firmly in Jamie Foxx‘s hands for Ray. He manages to turn in the performance of his career in The Aviator, which has already earned him a Golden Globe nomination. As Howard Hughes DiCaprio is forced to venture into so many emotional highs and lows all while maintaining an accent and playing out his role as the 40s version of a player.
The accolades shouldn’t stop there either as Cate Blanchett makes a strong statement with her portrayal as Katherine Hepburn. Blanchett offers up a tough and gritty portrayal of the equally emotional Hepburn like we have never seen before and this role just may make up for her being overlooked at the 1999 Oscars when Gwyneth Paltrow won the Oscar for Best Actress as opposed to Blanchett for her role in Elizabeth that same year.
Also, another actor that shows up on the radar screen in this film is Alan Alda who delivers a magnificent performance as Senator Owen Brewster, which has already earned him some pre-Oscar buzz and may find the six-time Golden Globe winner (“M*A*S*H”) his first ever Oscar nomination.
The only thing that will hurt both Blanchett and Alda’s chances is that they are not exactly in a lot of the film, and while they do play “supporting” roles that fact could ultimately hurt their chances.
It wasn’t all acting however as Scorsese went for a classic look for the film with a modern twist. To a certain degree, the entire film is a special effect as every scene was shot and later digitally enhanced so as to recreate the look of Hollywood films from the 20s, 30s and 40s, with the color ranges subtly shifting as film progresses through time. Scorsese told his visual effects supervisor, Rob Legato, he wanted the visual style to reflect what might have been seen if the film had been shot during the prime of Howard Hughes’ life – but with a contemporary aesthetic laid over that. “Marty has always adored classic movies and he encouraged us to really research films from Hughes’ era and revisit techniques that were used to make them so special,” explains Rob Legato.
To put it plainly, the film looks great and a shot at cinematography as well as visual effects is not out of the question, especially considering there a couple of amazing aerial scenes in this film that will have you begging for more.
The Aviator is no slouch and is certainly my frontrunner for Best Picture as of yet.
