The Aviator
It’s been a long time since I felt strongly enough about a movie to write about it here, but I think The Aviator, which opens nationally today, deserves praise as the best movie I’ve seen in a very long time (warning: mild spoilers ahead). I’d always thought of Howard Hughes only as a paranoid, germaphobic madman who built a ridiculously large wooden plane, but I walked out of Scorcese’s beautifully crafted movie with a new sense of awe at his life and a profound admiration for his accomplishments.
Ever since I became aware of Robert McKee through Adaptation (another one of my absolute favorite movies, by the way), I’ve had a fascination with story structure, particularly as it is brought to bear in adapting non-fiction. I can’t speak for him, of course, but I think McKee would nod approvingly at the way screenwriter John Logan hammered parts of Hughes’ biography into a well-constructed arc, beginning with his arrival in Hollywood as an unknown outsider, continuing through his amazing successes in both aviation and film, following his descent into darkness after a near-deadly plane crash, and finally climaxing with his victory in a congressional hearing meant to destroy him (but wisely ending well before his permanent descent into mental illness).
As incredible as the story is, though, it’s ultimately the acting that sells it, and Leonardo DiCaprio (as much as I always want to hate him) lends Hughes an impressive amount of charisma and panache. You simply can’t not like him. Cate Blanchett also delivers a jaw-dropping performance as Katherine Hepburn—I was practically gasping for breath right along with Hughes during a scene in which the two play a friendly game of golf (and marveling at her perfect Yankee accent—no mean feat for an Australian actress).
It’s a shame Hughes’ memory is marred by the eccentricities of his later life, because I think he should really be remembered as a true pioneer in the two most glamorous industries of his time. I suppose in a way you could say he was the Steve Jobs of his day: his success in two different industries, his perfectionistic demands for straighter rivets on a prototype plane, his detailed involvement with the decor of TWA planes, and his David vs. Goliath rivalry with Pan Am’s Juan Trippe (think Bill Gates with fashion sense) are a few of the parallels the movie offers.
The picture’s only downfall might be it’s length, and there are certainly a few lulls, but they’re evils necessary to the telling of a story as big as The Aviator. If you’re looking for something to do after opening your Christmas presents, I highly recommend checking it out.