Leonardo DiCaprio in Aviator

Caught it tonight, and I have to say, it was quite enjoyable.
Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Audrey Hepburn was nothing short of impeccable... she captured everything from the vocal nuances to the subtle facial expressions perfectly.

The cinematography is also rather intriguing...

Has anyone else had the chance to see it yet?

Watched it. Didn't really do it for me. The acting is solid, sure, but that's not even what I look for in a movie... I guess I just went in with too many expectations. It’s fine for a Saturday night or a lazy Sunday afternoon on PBS, but that's about it.

Haven't seen it yet, but I'm dying to... Howard Hughes was basically the ultimate 20th-century eccentric, so I'm curious if the movie actually nails that legendary vibe... Besides Leonardo DiCaprio playing the lead, I really want to see how Kate Beckinsale handles playing the proud and stunning Ava Gardner, an absolute Hollywood icon.

So, I managed to track down this movie in pretty incredible quality, but now I’m sitting here on the fence about whether I should actually sit through it. Everyone I've talked to who has already seen it says it’s an absolute disaster. Does anyone else have any thoughts or impressions they can share before I hit play?

I find it quite acceptable 🙂

I think 👍

But what’s everyone saying? Why aren't they feeling it?

I have a built-in dislike for biographies. Whether they're books or films, I just can't stand them.

I haven't seen it yet, but I have a feeling Leonardo DiCaprio's choice was a complete miss...

I mean, has anyone actually looked at how Howard Hughes really looked?
He’s nothing like Leonardo DiCaprio... He was ten times more handsome, taller, and had that dark look—whereas this guy is just blond... it just doesn't work...

I just need to double-check, I think I have it on Unknown, but since I don't really watch movies on Unknown (I know, I know, I’m a bit of a fanatic, but watching films on a computer just kind of kills the whole experience for me), I’ll probably just wait until it hits theaters. 😁

Man, what a slog. Honestly, I almost turned it off like two or three times. But since I’m too stubborn for that, I just sat through the whole thing.

That one scene where he’s having those outbursts and dealing with his hypochondria or whatever... it was just way too much.

Looks great on screen, sure, but that’s about it. The plot isn't exactly gripping... basically, it's just a dud. Only some big-shot Hollywood insiders could pull off getting this many nominations for something this mediocre.

Grace Alvarez3 said:The scenes where he’s having his outbursts or dealing with his hypochondria—whatever it is he's struggling with—are just exhausting to watch.

I actually find those specific moments quite fascinating. 😁

..this is a total disaster...gross. It’s like those overpriced, tasteless tomatoes you find at Whole Foods...zero flavor, zero soul...just boring. It feels thrown together without any rhyme or reason. I mean, what is Howard even doing? I sat through three hours just to learn he likes milk and building planes. We jump into the middle of a movie...he's filming a movie...but why? Why the sudden pivot to aviation? How? Why? Then there's that scene where he's naked in his room because he had an accident, filmed with some microscopic lens tech that looks so fake even Howard wouldn't believe it. He leaves the room, the movie ends...but how does it actually end? What was the point? Where's the momentum? What is even happening here? Is Howard really so dull that he had nothing to say? Nobody cares about his plane stories. And what does his mother have to do with any of this? So, he decides as a kid he'll build planes and get rich while sitting in a bathtub, and that's the whole story? That's it? This movie evokes absolutely nothing. Every single character is bland and hollow. Honestly, Scorsese, if you win an Oscar for this, just quit. Too bad there isn't an Oscar for robbing the audience or for pure boredom. I wasn't expecting much, yet I'm still disappointed...congrats on achieving that, though. Bravo, Scorsese. If you hadn't made that massive flop *New York Gangsters*, I might have actually thought you had talent left in you.
thanks.

Jose Miller17 said:I mean, what does his mother have to do with anything? It’s not like he just sat in a bathtub one day and suddenly decided, "Hey, I'm going to build airplanes and become a billionaire." That’s all we really need to know...

Honestly, give me a break. That whole obsession with bacteria is where it all starts, so where did that come from? 😁 That opening scene isn't just there for show...

Daniel Lopez said:Seriously, the whole thing starts with this weird, obsessive focus on germs out of nowhere. 😁 That opening scene feels totally random...

...the real issue is how poorly constructed the plot is. Just because he once bathed in a sink doesn't mean he needs deep-seated trauma, and then suddenly he's cured just because 😁😁😁 told him to wash his face. They’re focusing on all the wrong things. The movie drags for two hours with nothing happening... plus, I couldn't care less about planes. It doesn't even have to be planes; it could have been anything, but that should've been the core. Everything about this film is one-dimensional and shallow. It's just glamorous boredom. 😁...

Jose Miller17 said:...the issue with Ava's take is how poorly everything was constructed...just because he bathed in a washbasin once doesn't mean he's suddenly traumatized...and then he miraculously recovers just because 😁 😁 😁 told him to wash his face...the emphasis is placed on all the wrong things...the movie drags for two hours with nothing happening....besides, I couldn't care less about planes....and the point is, it doesn't have to be about planes; it could have been anything else...that should have been the core focus...everything in this film feels one-dimensional and shallow...it's just glamorous boredom-!!! 😁...

You don't get trauma from bathing in a basin! Don't you feel like his mother probably said that to him every single day while she was washing him? And you don't have to be interested in planes; the movie is about him, and he was definitely interested in 😉 😁

Daniel Lopez said:A single bath in a sink isn't going to cause lasting trauma. Don't you think his mom probably told him that every single day while she was scrubbing him?
And even if planes aren't your thing, the movie is still about him, and he definitely cared about them. 😉 😁

1. nope. 😁
2. That's exactly my point... someone just really needed to explain that to Scorsese.

I never understood why everyone puts Scorsese on such a pedestal. I saw right through him from day one. 😁😁🙂
Too bad I missed Aviator, otherwise this would just be straight-up spam.

Jose Miller17 said:...and besides, I couldn't care less about those damn airplanes...

Wait, you aren't interested in planes?!?! 😲

I'm guessing you're more into the guys, then. 😬

Daniel Lopez said:I caught it tonight, and I really enjoyed it.
Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Hepburn was spot on. She nailed the voice and the expressions perfectly.

The cinematography is quite compelling.

Has anyone else seen it yet?

I watched the movie and wasn't particularly blown away; it was fine, but it left me with the same feeling I get from most Scorsese films... interesting, but nothing out of the ordinary.
In my opinion, Million Dollar Baby is the film of the year!

Jose Miller17 said:[He should probably get well since 'Ava' 😁😁😁 told him she was going to wash up...]

He didn't really recover; he retreated to his apartment in '66 and stayed there until his death in '76. He was actually so unrecognizable that they had to identify him via fingerprints.

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Howard Hughes is a decent enough movie, nothing more. Leonardo DiCaprio is good, but that’s about it. The female roles are completely undervalued and so minor they barely matter—the only one with any screen time is Katherine Hepburn (that one scene with Spencer Tracy was totally unnecessary), and Martin Scorsese filmed something that doesn't even feel like his style, which is a shame and nothing more.
He's sold out so much lately; I suppose they'll just hand him that little trophy so they don't have to give him an award for a lifetime achievement.

The entire life of Hughes was a sick ride, and if they had paid attention to his whole life instead of just the planes and the movies, they might have had much better material.
...but the movie flies by for its 170 minutes(!)