Ye Olde Rad Blog

Saw The Aviator last night, a biopic, similar to Ray, about the life of Howard Hughes, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It's been getting rave reviews. Actually, I liked Ray a little better, maybe because I had such high expectations going into see The Aviator, and low expectations for Ray. Both movies, coincidently, begin and end with their mothers.

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Definitely worth seeing. Long movie: 2 hours, 46 minutes. Hit the restroom on the way in. Saw it at the Big Newport. The place was packed (7PM screening). I like seeing movies in crowded theaters. It makes the viewing experience more of an event. On the way out, I overheard one lady telling another "He [Leonardo] deserves an Oscar; he was in every scene."

There are a handful of directors whose every film I see. At the top of this list is Scorsese. I enjoy everything he does. For The Aviator, he paraded one star after another across the silver screen. Lots of recognizable talent. It was weird, for example, seeing Alan Alda, who normally plays Mr. Nice Guys, portraying a loathsome corrupt politician.

I've always enjoyed biographies. People are fascinating creatures. You never know what they'll do next. The first books I ever checked out from the local public library, after I first learned to read, were all biographies (beginning with Babe Ruth & General George Custer). Of course, Howard Hughes represents one of our species more fascinating and troubled characters.

If there is a weakness to this flick, it's that Leo might simply be too young to play Howard Hughes, who we remember as a much older man. Leo excels in roles that venture into the dark side of human experience, which is probably why he got the part. And he did a great job, especially when it came to those darker scenes. But there were times when his youth made it difficult for me to 100% engage in the story, despite the make-up.

I liked the way they injected flashes of real photos and footage of Howard Hughes. And I liked how the movie took you back in time. Trailer posted here. PG-13.