The Aviator

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Alan Alda, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe, Gwen Stefani

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Rated PG-13

            Howard Hughes was a fascinating man, and only a film as brilliant as “The Aviator” could capture the majority of his extraordinary life. The movie, directed by master filmmaker Martin Scorsese, is nothing short of a complete masterpiece, with an excellent, Oscar-worthy performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as the legendary film director/ aviator/ tycoon/ playboy Hughes.

            The opening scene of “The Aviator” gives the audience a brief glance of Hughes’ childhood, then places the action of the story directly in the production of “Hell’s Angels,” which was Hughes’ 1930 aviation motion picture that ended up costing three million dollars (a huge sum of money at the time.) Noah Deitrich (John C. Reilly) is Hughes’ accountant, and simply tells Hughes that if money keeps being spent so relentlessly on the filming of “Hell’s Angels,” Hughes could lose everything.

            Finally, “Hell’s Angels” is completed and Hughes ventures into a romance with Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett, who should win an Oscar.) Hughes experiences many adventures with Hepburn, including a run-in with film star Errol Flynn (Jude Law), an exciting plane ride in which Hughes allows Hepburn to fly the aircraft herself, and a disastrous luncheon with Hepburn’s Socialist family, who find Hughes to be less than delightful.

            Ultimately, however, Hepburn dumps Hughes for Spencer Tracy, which leads to an array of new experiences for Hughes: dating Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale), test-flying a plane that Hughes crashes into the middle of Beverly Hills (which cause intense damage to Hughes’ body), battling Maine Senator Ralph Owen Brewster (Alan Alda), and fighting with Pan-Am President Juan Trippe (Alec Baldwin.)

            The most fascinating parts of “The Aviator” are the sections that explain Hughes’ OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), which includes Hughes washing his hands excessively and repeating things over and over again, such as “The Way of the Future” or “Show Me All the Blueprints.”

            “The Aviator” is without a doubt the best movie of the year, and I hope it finally wins the Best Director Oscar for Martin Scorsese that he’s deserved for over 30 years.

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