Some men dream the future. He built it.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this nearly 3-hour biopic portraying Howard Hughes, a man who managed to present his life as if it was a movie and who became an icon in American history. 
Howard Hughes produced movies (Hell’s Angels for one) and set airspeed records. The public and a long list of beauties were fascinated by him. The truth however was that he was a lousy businessman whose only gift was determination and a huge amount of money. Hughes totally lacked personal charm and yet he dated the most famous actresses and was one of the best known men of his time. The Aviator tries to reawaken the myth behind Howard Hughes and gives us a glimpse into 20 years of his life, including the making of Hell’s Angels, his numerous affairs, his record-breaking flights, his crashes, his trials, his eccentricities and a foreshadowing of his eventual downfall.
After a disappointing Gangs of New York, The Aviator is Martin Scorsese’s best work since Goodfellas. With stunning shots, huge sets, striking visuals, excellent actors (except of course Gwen Stefani) and an atmospheric score, this movie is Oscar material. And even if one isn’t exactly a Dicaprio fan (and I am most certainly not) one has to admit that he does an awfully good job portraying Mr. Hughes for which he might even be rewarded with an Academy Award. Scorsese proves that he hasn’t forgotten how to make outstanding movies. He takes us on a tour behind the myth that was Howard Hughes and does so in a highly fascinating way.
After Alexander and before Ray, The Aviator is already the second biopic that opens this season and heck, it’s probably gonna be the best one too. The Aviator flies very high.
(3.5 out of 4 bars of soap)
