Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Howard Hughes, the billionaire, the filmmaker, the recluse and The Aviator. After inheriting his father’s machine tool company, the young Howard Hughes discovers he can combine his passions–flying, moviemaking and women–by coming to Hollywood. In 1930, while building one of the world’s largest aviation companies, Hughes produces Hell’s Angels, a perfectionist’s homage to World War I flyers. The man who eventually produces almost 30 films shocks society with The Outlaw, starring buxom Jane Russell, builds the world’s largest airplane, sets the world speed record and invents the half-cup bra.
“From Hollywood’s legendary Cocoanut Grove to the pioneering conquest of the wild blue yonder, Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator celebrates old-school filmmaking at its finest. We say “old school” only because Scorsese’s love of golden-age Hollywood is evident in his approach to his subject–Howard Hughes in his prime (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in his)–and especially in his technical mastery of the medium reflecting his love for classical filmmaking of the studio era. Even when he’s using state-of-the-art digital trickery for the film’s exciting flight scenes (including one of the most spectacular crashes ever filmed), Scorsese’s meticulous attention to art direction and costume design suggests an impassioned pursuit of craftsmanship from a bygone era; every frame seems to glow with gilded detail. And while DiCaprio bears little physical resemblance to Hughes during the film’s 20-year span (late 1920s to late ’40s), he efficiently captures the eccentric millionaire’s golden-boy essence, and his tragic descent into obsessive-compulsive seclusion. Bolstered by Cate Blanchett’s uncannily accurate portrayal of Katharine Hepburn as Hughes’ most beloved lover, The Aviator is easily Scorsese’s most accessible film, inviting mainstream popularity without compromising Scorsese’s artistic reputation. As compelling crowd-pleasers go, it’s a class act from start to finish.” –Jeff Shannon
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin.
Rated PG-13