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For the second film in a row, director Martin
Scorsese has chosen Leonardo DiCaprio to spearhead his blockbuster. Whereas
Gang of New York came off as a stretch to reality, The Aviator
will win the Oscar for Best Picture of the Year.
The Aviator
is the story of brilliant recluse Howard Hughes (DiCaprio) and his amazing
life. There was a time when Hughes was the richest man on the earth. As a
playboy he had romances with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars including
Jean Harlow (Gwen Stefani), the fabulously eccentric Katharine Hepburn (Cate
Blanchett), and the gorgeous Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale). Hughes was also
known for his directorial work on Hell’s Angels, a film renowned for
its incredible World War I dogfight sequences; and Outlaw, the risqué
western starring Jane Russell. Hughes also produced the original
Scarface.
But it was the world of aviation most impacted
by Howard Hughes, almost by accident. While Hughes was a pilot, he became
obsessed with planes during the multi-million dollar three year shoot of
Hell’s Angels, consistently trying to make the planes fly faster. The
pioneering Hughes aircraft was created solely in pursuit of the wealthy
owner’s dream of the fastest plane on earth. During World War II, Hughes
Aircraft and his airline, Trans World Airlines (TWA), undertook the
construction of the largest plane ever; the Hercules, a war transport later
to be dubbed the “Spruce Goose” on account of its wood design and its sheer
weight and proposed inability to fly.
Howard Hughes was also known for his decent into
madness, what we today would label obsessive compulsive disorder. Hughes
became not only obsessed with every minute detail of his business, but
personal hygiene and extreme verminophobia, a fear of germs. Hughes was also
extremely paranoid to the extent of bugging his own home. Of course his
paranoia was not completely unfounded as the government made attempts to
shut down his pioneering work in aviation when TWA threatened competition
with the famed Pan Am.
The Aviator
is a remarkable piece of work. Remarkable not only for its amazing subject
material, but as an extremely well made film. In fact, I’ll run the gamut of
Oscar nominations this film should get:
Visual Effects; Sound Design; Sound
Effects Editing; Film Editing; Score: Every single
flying sequence in this film owes a debt to the visual and sound team. The
realism, and moreover, the intensity of each of these sequences truly
benefits the film, further driving the story by exploiting each moments
significance to the fullest extent. Amazing work, and The Aviator
needs to be nominated in each category.
In addition, the editing of the film plays a
crucial role in detailing and describing Hughes decent into madness. In
fact, the film is so well edited during these sequences, its hard to imagine
Hughes staying sane during this time of his life.
Howard Shore also adds to this area with
his score. It may not be the most memorable, but I do remember some scenes
having additional impact through its musical cues. Shore has already
received a Golden Globe nomination for his work on
The Aviator.
Art Direction; Costume Design; Make-Up:
The look of the film is incredible, especially the
recreation of an era. The sets and locations are amazing. The period
costumes are incredible. Most noticeable, the character make-up is
phenomenal and is the best selling point on the period. The result is a very
classic Hollywood look and work very worthy of a nomination.
Cinematography:
Another reason this film is so beautiful is the
cinematography. The composition of shots, especially when Hughes is testing
his first plane for speed, is incredible. Ultimately, The Aviator is
a very beautiful film to watch.
Original Screenplay:
John Logan has done a superb job on this screenplay. I do not
think this was based on any other previous work, but I could be wrong.
Logan’s ability to take such a diverse man with very diverse interests and
even diverse lifestyles, and combine them into one single, cogent narrative
is remarkable. The writing is so good, you don’t realize this film is
two-hours and forty-five minutes long.
Directing:
Another reason you do not realize how long the film is belongs to the
director’s chair. Scorsese is almost an instant nominee for any film since
directing both Taxi Driver and Raging Bull in the 1970s.
However, this film is exceptional, and his best work in ten years, since the
amazing Casino, starring Robert DeNiro.
Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett. From the first frames of Cate’s Hepburn, it
is obvious that no other performance will come closer to the Oscar than
this. It is perfect, and considering some of the nominations over the years,
the Academy should just give her the award now. However, she may be counted
as a supporting role for this film even though she has second billing. (Note
she has already received a Golden Globe nomination as a Supporting Actress).
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio has already had three Golden Globe nominations, an Academy
Award nomination, and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, and he is only
thirty years old. Well, this is the best performance I have seen from him
yet. When I first thought of Leo in this role, I was perplexed. I thought,
he doesn’t even resemble Hughes. Well, not only does he look like Howard
Hughes in the film, when he starts to loose his mind, you believe he is
Howard Hughes. He is absolutely great, and if people start paying attention
to this guy and his performances, everyone should quit saying he can’t act.
It is also possible for nominations to pop up
for other supporting roles. Kate Beckinsale does a remarkable job as the
luscious Ava Gardener…but a nomination will probably be a stretch. Alan Alda
is perfect as Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster, and it’s about time we see this guy
get a nomination. I would also mention Ian Holm as Professor Fritz, and the
remarkable John C. Reilly as Hughes’ accountant, Noah Dietrich, but their
performances are too similar to other characters each has played over the
years.
Best Picture:
All of the above point to one thing: Best Picture of 2004.
This is it. Never before have been watching a film and said to myself, “I am
watching the Best Picture of the Year.” When that revelation hit me, I
leaned over to those accompanying me and shared the insight with them. Sure
there are other remarkable films out there, most notably Ray, The Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Spanglish¸and from what I have heard,
Finding Neverland, and Kinsey, but I believe The Aviator
will outshine them all. We only have a few months left to see if I am right.
Go see this film, give it a shot. Don’t even
think about its length…you won’t even notice it. Promise. |
