‘The Aviator’ Crashes and Burns
Posted June 24th, 2005 @ 11:50am by Erik J. Barzeski
I watched The Aviator last night. Always one to look on the bright side, I enjoyed quite a few scenes in the 170-minute flick. Of course, they all involved Kate Beckinsale…
Unlike some people, I watched the whole darn thing. The story was badly told. I didn't identify with any of the characters, nor did I care about any of them. DiCaprio is a much better actor than (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?) than the script allowed him to be, and my opinion of Martin Scorcese took a major hit with this film, not that I particularly cared for him to begin with.
I'm not sure how some people liked the movie. Understanding and anticipating a character's reaction is not the same thing as caring for one. Yet others found fascination in the minutae for some perverse reason.
I found several parts of the movie fascinating. The Senate hearings, for example, and Hughes' battle with the government and his involvement with TWA could have probably made for a better movie all by themselves. Unfortunately, everything in Hughes' life was thrown into a blender. The biggest chunks were pulled, and the interesting stuff - the story I would argue - was washed down the drain.
Abysmal, with a few shining moments. That's how I'd describe this movie.
Donate Life
Posted 24 Jun 2005 at 12:14pm #
I liked her in Serendipity and Brokedown Palace. Brokedown Palace is a great movie and I recommend it if you haven't seen it.
Posted 27 Jun 2005 at 9:30am #
In Scorsese's defense, he wasn't really the pilot. The picture was nearly finished, when he was called in to save it after the original director bailed.
I haven't watched it, I have wondered how much of the later paranoid bearded kleenex box for shoes years may have been portrayed. But I'm not likely to go in with the preconception that this is a "Scorsese" film- I think if I watched with the preconception that it was a Leo DeCaprio film instead, it might surprise me.