 | The Aviator Director: Martin Scorsese Rated: M Now screening  May I suggest that you rent 'The Aviator' on DVD? Not that it's not a good film which doesn't deserve your money; it is and it does. But if your fellow moviegoers are anything like the crowd at my screening, you may wish to stay at home. Leaving aside their habit of laughing at inappropriate moments, I had to put up with people walking around, constant chatter and, in a breach of cinema etiquette verging on the criminal, a group of girls in front of me sending each other text messages on those new phones that glow like radioactive isotopes.But what will you see in a cinema frequented by polite members of the public? 'The Aviator' is the story of Howard Hughes, probably most famous for becoming a shaggy, germ phobic recluse. If nothing else this film does a service by showing a younger, dynamic Hughes, one of the most influential people of his time, to the public (especially for me, someone who got all I previously knew about him from one parody on 'The Simpsons'). After an establishing shot of Howard being cleaned by his mother while being taught to spell quarantine, we see him (played by Leonardo diCaprio) as a young man, recently orphaned and at the head of his father's company, spending vast amounts of money on a war film, 'Hell's Angels'. The story follows Hughes' increasingly bold and reckless ventures: he makes movies that anger the censors, builds ever-bigger and faster aircraft, dates the most glamorous stars, chiefly Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) and Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale), and angers Pan-Am chief Juan Trippe (Alec Baldwin) by buying and expanding rival airliner TWA, leading to Hughes' persecution by corrupt senator Ralph Owen Brewster (Alan Alda). The film foreshadows the madness that is to descend on Hughes, but does not dwell on it. Cate Blanchett has gotten a lot of praise for her role, and she deserves every bit of it; her performance is instantly engaging and she steals every scene. DiCaprio gives a believable portrayal of Hughes, bringing the same fierce intensity to his weaknesses as he does to his triumphs. Baldwin plays his role with the same smug sheen he brings to every role, and Alan Alda cultivates a low-key air of malevolence that might surprise fans of Hawkeye Pierce. As good as the performances are, the actors are all competing against the film's spectacular visuals. From the spectacular flying sequences to the colour scheme, which shifts from eye-searing Technicolor to more muted tones so subtly that you don't even notice, the film is a treat to look at. As for sound, if you like music that swings, jives, and generally scoo-be-bops around the place, you'll love the soundtrack for 'The Aviator'. This is by no means a perfect film; it covers a lot of Hughes' life and not all the bits are equally fascinating, and near the end some questionable editing breaks up the flow, though after seeing 'Alexander' I'm willing to be forgiving. It's also a very long movie, and obviously not riveting enough for some of my fellow moviegoers, but if it grabs you initially you'll probably stay with it all the way. If you want a well-told tale about a fascinating, enigmatic figure, go along to 'The Aviator'. And turn off your damn phones.  | |
The latest issue available now!     |
All content copyright dB Magazine