Monday, January 9, 2012

Review: The Aviator (2004)

IMDb Synopsis: A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career, from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s.


I'm back from my hiatus! For my first post in 2012, I'm reviewing a film that is discussed frequently among the classic Hollywood fandom: Martin Scorsese's The Aviator. (I also plan on reviewing The Artist whenever I get an opportunity to see it.)


I love watching biopics, if they're made well. Sometimes I'm hesitant to watch a film when it's portraying people I''m fond of, since there's always a chance that the actors chosen won't live up to my expectations. Fortunately, this wasn't the case here.


The two actors that surprised me the most (and the two that I was most pleased with) were Cate Blanchett and Leonardo DiCaprio. Prior to viewing, I was skeptical of Blanchett- not just anyone could play Katharine Hepburn- but I was pleased with her performance and I'm glad she won an Oscar.  For no particular reason I loved her line "Can't you just eat ice cream out of a bowl, like everyone else?" 


Then there's DiCaprio, who I've never liked (I blame Titanic). Like Hepburn, Howard Hughes isn't an easy role to play, but DiCaprio managed to master his role, especially in the scenes concerning Hughes' mental illness.


Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Aviator and I think the same goes for many other classic Hollywood fans. Also a deserving mention to the costume designer and makeup artists for making all of the actors look so authentic. 


4.5/5 stars





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