The Aviator

The pilot is not bad at all, but after two screenings in one year, I can't imagine trying to go through it all again even fifteen years later. DiCaprio is great, but surprisingly, Scorsese can't maintain a good momentum, he gets lost in Hughes' psychoses, and the story that goes to flowers is only fixed in the thrilling courtroom finale. (09/15/2005)

One of those films for which Leo should have rather received an Oscar. It is his great performance, but it is not the only strong aspect of the film. Scorsese's direction is so confident that he dares to have an excessive running time because he knows it won't bore anyone. The last two hours captivated me so much that I couldn't tear myself away from the film - for the second time. (03/06/2016)

If The Aviator is anything to go by, it's a perfect example of top Hollywood, the Hollywood that Hughes helped build in the 1920s with his bold visions. It's a precisely-fulfilled genre scheme that offers both a breathtaking spectacle and great dramatic filmmaking. You can't help but praise the famous camera, the well-incorporated tricks, and the perfect period music that gives everything style and atmosphere. The story of Howard Hughes is not only a personal drama, but also a spectacular and epic spectacle in which some scenes bolt you to your seat in a "Hollywood" manner and don't let you breathe (the superbly shot aerial sequences are really worth it). More importantly, each part serves a monumental whole, and the monumentality of the whole does not overshadow the personal and not-very-idealized personal plane. Hughes' personality is the centerpiece around which everything spectacularly turns, not the other way around. That's what I appreciate about Martin Scorsese. He didn't succumb to a big topic and tried to go under the surface. He did not idealize, but he tried to tell the story of one of the fascinating carriers of human imagination and the desire to fly (figuratively and literally) in all shades. From where I was sitting, it clearly seemed that he had succeeded. The Aviator is a truly wonderful specimen of a biographical major film in all its dazzling sheen. There's no room for misery this time... The few extra minutes the film has can be considered a hereditary disease. And Scorsese was able to richly balance Logan's weaker script with his precise direction. (02/11/2005)

A stunning cinematic work by a true artist, both in image and acting. I wasn't bored even for a minute, the runtime was okay, I actually wouldn't have minded a bit more. And the emotional impact on me was all the greater because I have dealt with obsessive compulsive disorder in my life, so I know exactly what Scorsese was talking about, and that he didn't miss the mark is evidenced by the feelings of one of my friends, also OCD, who was shocked to find himself in the character of Howard Hughes. So, thank you Sir. (10/29/2005)

Paradoxically, the most interesting stages of Hughes’ life are merely mentioned in passing or completely ignored, while there is also a lot of needless filler (albeit excellently filmed). The actors are excellent, Scorsese’s still got it - it’s just that the screenplay isn’t one of the best ever written. Which is really a great shame and it knocks The Aviator out of the sky before it has the chance to take off. (11/06/2005)