The Aviator
The Aviator
A biopic depicting the life of filmmaker and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes from 1927 to 1947, during which time he became a successful film producer and an aviation magnate, while simultaneously growing more unstable due to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Manuel Frangis reviewedMarch 14, 2025
I just watched The Aviator, and it is easily a 5 out of 5 stars for me. This is Scorsese at his best. Epic, beautifully shot, and packed with an incredible performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. It is the perfect mix of history, drama, and spectacle, bringing Howard Hughes’ wild life to the screen in a way that feels larger than life.
The story dives deep into Hughes’ rise as a Hollywood mogul and aviation pioneer, showing how he revolutionized both industries while battling corporate rivals, government pressure, and his own mind. You get everything. His obsession with making movies, his battle against Pan Am’s monopoly, the creation of the Spruce Goose, and his high profile relationships with Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner. But the real heart of the movie is Hughes himself. An unstoppable visionary whose own mind slowly becomes his worst enemy.
DiCaprio absolutely kills it in this role. He does not just play Hughes. He becomes him, from his confidence and charm to his unraveling as his OCD spirals out of control. That bathroom scene? One of the most haunting moments in any biopic ever. His transformation throughout the movie is incredible, and you really feel every triumph, every loss, and every moment where his mind starts to slip away from him. This is one of the best performances of his career.
Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn is another standout. She nails the voice, the attitude, the charisma. She does not just feel like an actress playing a famous person. She is Katharine Hepburn. The chemistry between her and DiCaprio is fantastic, and their scenes together bring some of the best moments in the movie. Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner is also great, adding another layer to the complex relationships Hughes had with Hollywood’s biggest stars.
One of the coolest parts of the movie is how it captures the golden age of aviation and Hollywood. The flight scenes are insane, and when Hughes is designing planes, breaking records, and refusing to back down, you feel the thrill of it all. The cinematography is stunning, and Scorsese even changes the color palette to match the era’s film technology, which just makes it feel even more authentic.
The movie does an amazing job of showing how Hughes' genius and madness were deeply connected. He was brilliant, fearless, and ahead of his time, but his personal struggles and mental health battles made his life a constant fight. The way the film balances his achievements with his inner demons makes it more than just a historical drama. It makes it a character study, one that is both inspiring and tragic.
The supporting cast is stacked with talent. John C Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, and Jude Law all add depth to the world of the movie, making every scene feel full of life. The dialogue is sharp, the pacing is perfect, and the film keeps you hooked from beginning to end. Howard Shore’s musical score is also fantastic, bringing a sense of grandeur and tension that fits the story perfectly.
This is not just a movie about history. It is a movie about ambition, obsession, and the cost of greatness. It takes a real life legend and shows us both his genius and his struggles in a way that feels incredibly real.
If you love Scorsese, DiCaprio, aviation, or classic Hollywood, this is a must watch. It is one of the best biopics ever made, and it only gets better every time you watch it. Definitely one of my all time favorites.