Movie Review

‘The Aviator’ Soars

By: Eliot John Hagen (June 11, 2005)

Leonardo DiCaprio gives his greatest performance playing Howard Hughes, the renowned aviator and director, in one of the best movies of 2005.

While this movie runs at approximately three hours, it doesn’t seem enough to tell a man’s life (it doesn’t go from birth to death).  Nevertheless, those of you who did not know who Howard Hughes was will have been educated by the time the credits start.

DiCaprio plays every aspect of Hughes’ personality: the impulsive business tycoon, the relentless director, and the sick individual.  I do not mean sick as in perverted, but rather in the sense of disturbed.

Hughes, as some of you may know, suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  I, as some of you may also know, suffer from the same affliction.  While I would trade a lesser understanding of this movie for a clean bill of health, the fact that the aviator and I share the same fears of contamination furthered my enjoyment of this film.

Those who are unfamiliar with the disorder will find it unreasonable and unexplainable.  I, for one, found it horrifying.  I spotted all of the symptoms and related with many of them.  There were times when I felt nervous due to what I saw on screen: the erratic movements of people, the bustling crowds, the sound and flashes of cameras, etc.

I had no idea who Leonardo DiCaprio was until Titanic.  When I saw that movie, I labeled DiCaprio as a talentless pretty-boy (but I later found it to be the fault of the terrible screenwriter and James Cameron’s failed attempt to make a love story).  My view of DiCaprio remained until I saw The Beach and Catch Me If You Can (I was young when I saw the former, so the latter was the film that truly proved me wrong.)

DiCaprio has proved himself to be an extremely versatile actor; one of the best nowadays.  He plays the fear so realistically.  He plays the joy so realistically.  He is the Aviator.

But what am I saying?  There were many other fine performances, as well.  Cate Blanchet plays Katherine Hepburn (YEAH!) with uncanny resemblance (especially in the voice.)  Alec Baldwin plays Juan Tripper, President of Pan American Airways, and Alan Alda plays Senator Brewster.  There are a few cameos (Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow and Jude Law as Errol Flynn) and some fine displays of aviation, not to mention Ian Holm.

The special effects were noticeable but allowable (few have seen such things) and the movie is relatively accurate when history is concerned.

To put it bluntly, if you liked DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can, see this.  I can’t put Scorcese’s work into perspective (because I stopped halfway through Gangs of New York,) but DiCaprio is enough to make this movie worth your while.  If you have OCD, see this.  It entertains and educates.