1st March, 2005

Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) star in The Aviator.   "In one sense, The Aviator represents something of a tragedy; a story in which power and money led to such isolation that even when the tormented Hughes descends into crippling eccentricity, no-one is close enough or perhaps bold enough to see he’s given real help. It is the story of a man who had everything in an earthly sense - money, fame and a sharp intellect - yet who ended up alone and broken, his dreams shattered around him."

DAVID ADAMS

The Aviator (M)

He had the world at his feet but thanks to a slow descent into madness realised few of his dreams. Such is the storyline of The Aviator, a painful yet compelling biopic on the life of eccentric Texan billionaire industrialist, film mogul and perhaps even genius, Howard Hughes. Directed by Martin Scorsese (and being seen by many as a long awaited return to form) and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes, the movie opens with a vignette from Hughes’ childhood - in what might be seen as an attempt to explain his later obsessive nature - but quickly moves onto his entry into the movie-making business, when armed with the millions from his now departed parents’ drill-bit empire, he begins work on the World War I epic movie Hell’s Angels. From this point on, the movie darts constantly between two of the great passions that shaped Hughes’ life - aircraft and film-making - and, spanning a period from the Twenties through to the Forties, follows his rise into the stratosphere of Hollywood both as a film-maker and as a pilot (Hughes set several flight speed records). The latter part of the movie - which also features an array of stars including Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin - is dominated by Hughes’ consuming desire to build the world’s largest plane - what becomes known pejoratively as the ‘Spruce Goose’ - and his efforts to create a rival airline to the then dominant Pan American, a quest which ultimately brings him into conflict with some of the most powerful men in America. There’s a smattering of romance - Hughes was renowned for wooing some of Hollywood’s most beautiful women including Katharine Hepburn (portrayed in an Oscar-award winning performance by Cate Blanchett and deservedly so) and Ava Gardner (ably played by Kate Beckinsale) - but Hughes’ increasingly erratic behaviour meant that like much else in his life, his relationships inevitably don’t lead to happiness. In one sense, The Aviator represents something of a tragedy; a story in which power and money led to such isolation that even when the tormented Hughes descends into crippling eccentricity, no-one is close enough or perhaps bold enough to see he’s given real help. It is the story of a man who had everything in an earthly sense - money, fame and a sharp intellect - yet who ended up alone and broken, his dreams shattered around him. Great acting, superb cinematography, and a strong storyline. Well worth watching.