The Aviator, the second collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo Dicaprio is an ambitious film, that manages to do something few movies of it's scope succeed to do - not get bogged down in the details.
The movie chronicles the rise of Howard Hughes and Hughes Aircraft, basically concentrating on Hughes's conquests of Hollywood and the skies.
The movie decides to skip the areas played out in many of his biographies - his weird childhood and reclusive germophobic later years (yet, during that period, he managed to continuously control the Nixon Administration), aside from a few vignettes, and a couple of Dicaprio nervous twitchies.
Instead, this is a movie about personality and conquest - Hughes's over-the-top style, in which he often threw money at projects, refusing to give them up regardless of cost. And of course, his conquests, where he smacks around Senator Ralph Owen Brewster, Louie B. Mayer of MGM, Juan Trippe - the President of Pan Am, and lays a gaggle of hollywood starlets.
The movie thrives on the connection between Dicaprio, who manages to convey Hughes's bluster without being a total caricture (although, the first scene of the movie is way over-the-top) and John C. Reilly, who shows that he belongs in the Paul Giamatti/Steve Buscemi/William H. Macy/Joe Pantoliano pantheon of character actors who make every movie they appear in better. Reilly plays the straight man to Hughes's larger-then-life, and handles the role with his typical skill.
As far as the romantic side, Cate Blanchett absolutely nails Katherine Hepburn, probably making her wittier, sassier, and sexier then she actually happened to be. Blanchett happily chews up the cellophane, and in this movie, that's not a bad thing. Kate Beckinsale played Ava Gardner a lot like what people thought Ava Gardner was like, sexy but boring. Gwen Stephani is in the film for approximately 10.7 seconds as Jean Harlow - which is good, because her attempt at sounding like Jean Harlow sucked.
In the supporting roles, Jude Law basically plays Jude Law, in his 85,000th movie of the year. It's really interesting that Jude's most dynamic role was as the narrator in the Lemony Snicket movie, where he did mostly narration. Alec Baldwin plays smarmy, which is his new cachet. (Actually, that was always his cachet, wasn't it?) Alan Alda stands out as Brewster, the senator in Pan Am's pocket. He turns the senate battle between Hughes and Brewster into a climactic battle of attitude. (Typical Alan Alda - makes the most of the least.)
The stuntwork in the movie is quickly becoming Scorsese's new defining style element, with tons of pilots, glorious plane recreations, and IMAX worthy flight scenes. For a plane fan, it's a glorious effort, and in general, the flights of fancy make this a solid popcorn movie. I don't know if I enjoyed this style more or less then they carnage of Gangs of New York, but it's worth watching.
(On second thought, I preferred Gangs of New York, if only because Daniel Day-Lewis is fucking awesome.)
Overall, this is a high quality flick, that while not nearly as tight and well done as some of the artflicks this season (Sideways stands out as an adventure when good filmmakers and good actors mesh), it certainly makes for good popcorn and a quality two and a half hour ride. It's not perfect, but it's certainly not "Alexander" either.
Mystery Poster gives it 3 and a half black mystery masks.
^_^
-TMP-
P.S. As a bonus, there was a super high quality trailer for Sin City. I really don't know how Hollywood can avoid fucking this up, but if it is fucked up, it's not because of the cast, who seems top-notch. (Mickey Rourke may have found a role he can't fuck up.) I liked the trailer, but in general, I'd rather see a Watchmen movie.
P.p.s. I just saw a commercial for Girls Gone Wild with Doug Stanhope. I used to really like Doug Stanhope. I'm saddened.