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Originally Posted by chappers
As good as The Aviatorwas Collateral is by FAR the greatest film of the year. Fuck the naysers and the Oscars. Any body who says that it was "just a great thriller" is out of their minds.
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Originally Posted by Micah Robinson
...and the haunting ending scene kind of made up for the overly convenient comeback Hughes makes.
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Originally Posted by Micah Robinson
When I first came out of this, I liked it, but was bothered by the severe underwritten Ava Gardner storyline, Hughes magically pulling himself together for the hearings and maiden flight, and Alan Alda not making much of a villain. The more I thought about it, however, Senator Brewster wasn't much of an adversary, Ava Gardner's arc could never compare to Katherine Hepburn's, and the haunting ending scene kind of made up for the overly convenient comeback Hughes makes.
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Originally Posted by The Prankster
And on a totally inane note, was that footage of the real Jane Russell used in the projection room sequences? Because she's the spittin' image of Salma Hayek...
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Originally Posted by chappers
As good as The Aviatorwas Collateral is by FAR the greatest film of the year.
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Originally Posted by Rath/Brendan
It wouldn't surprise me if it was Salma, because I'm pretty damn sure that was Adam Arkin as Spencer Tracey.
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| Okay, first things first. Scorsese will win Best Director. This film may not be his best work, but it most definitely displays everything that makes him great. The first hour and half alone is a 'firing on all cylinders ' thundering showcase of his patented super charged narrative flow. It truly is a euphoric rush experiencing "old Hollywood" through the Scorsese prism. His editing rhythms, camera moves and distinct mise-en-scene are effortless exuberance - nobody does it better. And when you add exhilarating flying sequences, and an always fascinating Kate Hepburn/love story, this particular chunk of the flick seems worth the price of admission alone. (BTW, Cate Blanchett is amazing. While at first she shocks you with her acute mannerisms, by her exit, it feels like an act of alchemy. The spirit of Hepburn revived from the dead. Reminded me of Hopkins/Nixon) By the middle of the picture, I LOVED Leo's Howard Hughes. He already felt like a classic cinematic character at this point, and his increasingly larger-than-life obsession with aviation kept the narrative afloat through the darker episodes of his life. Obsessive compulsive disorder is a motherfucker, and the film puts you right in Leo's head as he tries to keep it together. It's a shock to the system whenever Scorsese stops his rapid fire pace cold, placing Hughes in claustrophobic rooms to enact his ever accelerating disease. There are moments in these sequences so soulful, dark and commanding, that it felt like it's taken Leo 10 years to reach this potential (All the way back to that "locked out of his mother's apartment" scene in Basketball Diaries). I think the reason so many folks are going to be stunned by Dicaprio's acting here is because there is such a wide diversity of phases to both his character and screen presence. And when he stands toe to toe, and even dominates tons of amazing thespians to boot, it definitely makes you consider him a heavyweight. So while what ultimately stayed with me at the end of the film was the scope of Scorsese's narrative, Leonardo's epic performance is at least 70 percent of why he got there. He rocked. Some stuff I loved... -Errol Flynn sequence (The whole thing) -Baldwin's use of "Fuck". -Alan Alda - Scorsese was right to cast such a likable and charismatic screen presence in this antagonist role. -Howard Shore's score - Give this man another Oscar! -Hepburn family scene. -Ian Holm in the ratings board sequence. -That motherfucking EPIC crash. -When Hughes identifies himself as an Aviator in it's aftermath. -The fact that Scorsese made Kate Beckinsale come off as a good actor/screen presence. -The fact that for first time, I thought Kate was HOT. -Alec Baldwin's scene outside Hughes room (when he wouldn't come out) -The congressional hearing. -The cinematography of Robert Richardson - Scorsese and him have cemented themselves as GREAT partners. -Kelli Garner's cleavage. -Odie! |
| Y'know, Dicaprio has methodically submerged his formidable star wattage since Titanic. The success of that film probably scared the crap out of him, and he shunned any roles which would give a whiff of this quality. "Catch me If You Can" was close, but no cigar. The point of that portrayal was Abagnale was not a singular personality. He was basically a blank state. And when you get right down to it, while his impersonations had their charm, there was no larger-than-life charisma on display there. "The Aviator" is the return of Dicaprio's movie star charm, and I think it's going to play like gangbusters with mainstream audiences. Of course, unlike Jack Dawson, Howard Hughes has a dark side. But even throughout these shadowy and downer episodes that take up a good part of the second half of the picture, the larger-than-life positivism shines through - allowing Hughes to remain an intoxicating figure throughout. So while Scorsese complicates a big factor why Cameron became the "king of the world", the point is Leo hasn't used these chops since. Until now. I think this film is going to do very well. |
| Holds up on repeat viewing. The flying sequences are like a drug. I got a euphoric buzz whenever one of these sequences came up. The editing, music, shot composition, choreography......just masterful. And I now more than ever believe Scorsese has organically tied the OCD with Hughes' characterization in the narrative. There's an obsessive overlap to everything he did, whether that be women, cinema or aviation. Think of that scene where he's planning out the plane designs and the sexual quotient of "The Outlaw" at the same time. Then later, during that "Show me all the blueprints"scene with Odie, it can intuitively be percieved as a natural extension of his Aviation obsessions. The transition just feels 'logical'. But while he was obsessive, extreme and radical about all his endeavors, the film wisely doesn't conclude whether it actually came from the OCD, or whether the OCD was merely exasperated by such an extreme aspect of his personality. But that's the way it should be. Leave that mystery about this dynamic figure and his disease intact. About Beckinsale..... I was one of her naysayers. In her first appearance in the film, I feared her Van Helsing accent.  But she comes off as a soothing - even motherly - presence whenever she appears on screen. And while she's not as beautiful as the real Ava Gardner, she's pretty frickin' hot in this flick. |
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Originally Posted by The_Gistmeister
Finally saw it tonight...I still need to see SIDEWAYS and MILLION DOLLAR BABY but Scorsese is sitting in the top spot for the year right now. It's just a phenomenal film. DiCaprio and Blanchett are both oscar-worthy and Marty definitely deserves the brass as well. How have I never really heard of Howard Hughes before? What an incredible story.
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| Yes, "haunting" is definately the right word for the ending. I can't help but suspect that it wasn't in the original script--John Logan's more the kind of glossy, Akiva Golsdman-ish Hollywood polish guy who would paper over the cracks in someone's life, whereas Marty isn't the kind of guy to back away from the truth if it's not pretty. Also, did it seem to anyone else that the scene where Ava Gardner cleans him up for the hearings was written for Hepburn, and Scorsese changed it to Gardner for some reason? Presumably historical accuracy? |
