[psmith2.0]

As I usually do on Christmas, I wind up at the multiplex.

Been curious about this particular movie for a while. I was very pleased, and it was totally worth my $5.50 (matinee price).

Great visuals and style (it's Scorcese, after all, so you know it isn't going to lack in those departments) and great performances by John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin and Alan Alda(!). And Gwen Stefani appears for about three or so minutes, portraying glamour gal Jean Harlow (and she was SO hot).



However, in my opinion Cate Blanchett stole the movie as a feisty, earthy young Kate Hepburn. She looked it, had the clipped New England quack voice down and her hair, make-up and wardrobe really sealed the deal. Easily one of the most dead-on, fun-to-watch portrayals of a famous person I've ever seen in a movie. In fact, if she fails to wind up with a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, the system is truly screwed. She was awesome, and quite sexy in a quirky, tomboyish kind of way. Her parts in the film were easily the best.

In fact, the only parts I didn't fully buy into were those featuring Leonardo DeCaprio himself, who is simply too boyish, baby-faced and squeaky-voiced for me to see as a "man", like a Howard Hughes type. The movie spans about 20 years, and the only thing the make-up department figured they could do to "age" Leo was slap a fake mustache on him for the final 1/3 of the movie.



He handled the part okay, but I just could not buy him in this type of role. I can think of twenty other actors who would've been more believable and carried more weight.

Despite that, a very enjoyable film. Easily an 8.7 on my patented, world-famous AppleNova Movierama Scale.



10x better than most of the crap I've sat through this year.

Good pacing, never really drags, moments of humor, some excitement, great aerial effects and a great depiction of 1930's and 1940's Hollywood AND aviation culture. The movie bookends with Hughes filming of a big-budget war movie and his successful flight of the "spruce goose" in Long Beach harbor. Between that, his various loves, legal/political battles, impact on the Hollywood scene, contributions to aviation and his gradual descent into paranoia and obsession with germs.

What an interesting man this Howard Hughes must've been!

During this holiday period, with altered work schedules and free time on your hands, if you're looking for an enjoyable, well-done movie to go see, I heartily recommend "The Aviator". Good stuff.

Easily a DVD purchase for me, when it gets to that point.

[onlyafterdark]

I love this. Everytime a movie comes out, our local movie critic pscates is off to see the movie and let everyone know whether it was good or not. Keep up the good work pscates, your saving me money at the theater this year. Oh ya, and your reviews are good too.

[psmith2.0]

Ha...thanks. I think.

For some reason, I've seen more movies in 2004 than I have the past six or so years. Oddly enough, I didn't go that much when I lived in California. Maybe 3-4 year, if that?

I've easily seen 4x that many this year, especially as it's gotten colder and more winter-like, and also I have two theaters here in town I really love going to (opposite ends of the spectrum in vibe, location, clientele, types of movies shown, amenities, etc. but I love them both, for different reasons).

[Messiahtosh]

Thanks Paul, my mom was wondering if the family should go see this. I was advocating Finding Neverland, but I think this review has swayed me. I'm off to reinforce my mom's original thought!

[CitizenTony]

I'll agree with everything in this review. I thought it was a great film and although it is long, you really don't notice.

Expanding on the age factor of the lead actor Leonardo DeCaprio; If you don't pay attention or don't know the time line of the events. You won't be able to tell any time has passed by looking at him. I thought the mustache was only added due to scaring from his crash, not to add years to his apperance. Otherwise, I think he did a decent job.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, the mustache was added after his crash (I'm guessing) to hide the scarring (talking real-life Hughes here).

But I also mean that the make-up people didn't seem to add any lines or creases on DeCaprio...things that made him look "20 years on". Nothing to do with the mustache/scar thing, just simply making him not look like a 20-something on the day he flew the Spruce Goose (if I did my math right, he was around 42 or so that day...but Leo never looked over 24 the entire movie).



Looking at some photos of Hughes himself on Google the day after I saw this movie, they could've helped "sell it" a bit more by receding Leo's hairline a tad, and adding some lines around the eyes and mouth. Not a deal-killer, I know. But just something that kinda poked at me throughout the movie.

He just looked like a 24-year-old throughout the whole movie...except towards the end, when he looked like a 24-year-old with a fake mustache, trying to look 40-something.

[CitizenTony]

I agreed; Had I not paid attention or known anything about Hughes, I would have thought he did everything in about 3 years. Since DeCaprio never looked older than his lower 20's.

That was really the only "bad" thing about an other wise great film, and it really does not take that much away from the story.