In my mind, The Aviator had a heavy weight on its shoulders considering it was the last attempt at a decent epic for 2004, and I am happy to say that it succeeds in every possible way.
A couple of years ago Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio teamed up for the amazing film Gangs of New York, and while The Aviator doesn’t quite match the earlier film , it does prove that Leo and Marty know how to make a film together.
Playing the legendary filmmaker/airplane engineer, Howard Hughes, DiCaprio goes above and beyond anything he has done to this point, even surpassing his Oscar nominated bout in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
In Gangs he had an accent and played the tough guy, and while we bought into the idea there was just a little something off, but here that little something does not exist. As Hughes Leo is in absolute touch with his character and seems to suffer every high and low the story offers.
On top of DiCaprio’s performance the praise does not stop as Scorsese has put together the ensemble cast of a lifetime. From the masterful performances turned in by Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin to the grace and grit Cate Blanchett displays as Miss Katharine Hepburn. Along for the ride is Jude Law as Errol Flynn and the lovely Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner. The names don’t stop there, but they are going to have to for me to keep this review short.
Needless to say I fell in love with this flick, but it should be known that at times the film does seem a little slow and once it is over you will feel as if you have watched a three-hour picture, and that is primarily because you have and an emotional and heavy handed picture at that.
Luckily, it seems Scorsese realized the ups and downs of the script and just as he felt he may be losing the audience due to too much dialogue or a lapse in emotion he hits you with emotional despair or an action packed aerial display, just to keep you on your toes.
Scorsese has put it all on the line as he looks for his first Oscar win, and based on the competition and the fact that The Pianist and Chicago aren’t around to goggle up all his wins, I would say his chances have never been greater.
