THE AVIATOR

Business Class At Its Best

Make no mistake, Martin Scorsese's latest epic is a beautifully crafted motion picture. More polished than Barbie Benton's banister, this biopic flies off the screen with award winning cinematography, production design, costuming, special effects, music, editing and some terrific acting.

Ah yes, the acting. As some of you may have seen, I questioned the choice of Leonardo DiCaprio to play the bigger-than-life Howard Hughes. “What on earth was Martin Scorsese thinking?” I wrote. “Might as well have Shirley Temple portray Mae West. Or Gary Coleman take on the role of Shaquille O'Neal. Or, God forbid, have George W. Bush play the President of the United States.”

That's what I was thinking before seeing THE AVIATOR, and while I still believe that the physical appearance of Mr. DiCaprio requires considerable suspension of disbelief, I must confess that his performance is outstanding. Oscar worthy? Probably not…but close. My cheap shot was unwarranted and is hereby retracted. (That's for Leonardo, not Georgie boy).

Supporting Mr. DiCaprio is a stellar appearance by Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn who single-handedly manages to steal every scene she appears in aided by the crackling dialogue of screenwriter John Logan and the crisp editing of Thelma Schoonmaker. Ms. Blanchett wears the pants and she wears them just fine.

Kate Beckinsale plays Ava Gardner and has some nice scenes as well. Special mention, however, must go to Alec Baldwin as Pan Am president Juan Trippe, Alan Alda as Senator Ralph Owen Brewster and Matt Ross as Glenn Odekirk, Hughes' capable foreman who puts the rivets where they need to be. Lastly, but not least, John C. Reilly gives another winning performance as Noah Dietrich, Hughes' loyal business manager.

This Constellation of stars comprises a mighty fine passenger list. At 169 minutes, THE AVIATOR takes us through two decades of turbulence in the life of one of America's most fascinating, flamboyant and capable businessmen of the 20th Century. A Renaissance man from the very beginning, Howard Hughes' passion for excellence and risk taking should be required study at every MBA program. By doing so, perhaps there will be a few visionary exceptions to the tens of thousands of business school lemmings graduating every year. One can only hope…

THE AVIATOR is not on par with CITIZEN KANE, another epic motion picture based on the life of a wealthy eccentric businessman, but it is among the best films of the past few years.

Two interesting sidebars

The film does make mention that the plans for one of Hughes' early designs for a military fighter were “acquired” by the Japanese. What isn't mentioned is that the aircraft in question was the famous Japanese Zero which proved to be a highly maneuverable and capable fighter during the early years of WWII, including playing a significant role in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The other oversight concerns the Lockheed Constellation, arguably the most beautiful passenger airplane ever built. Hughes was instrumental in its design, and it was at his insistence the body of the plane be redesigned to incorporate the now-famous curved fuselage. He did this not for reasons of performance or cost savings; he did it to make the Constellation even more sexy. (Yes, airplanes can be sexy—just ask any pilot).