The Aviator is something of a departure for the brilliant Martin Scorsese. And in fact, through the first three quarters of the picture, I never would have guessed this was his work. The Aviator is fashioned much differently than the other films on Scorsese's amazing resume - seemingly the cinematic master's earnest attempt at making an epic, old fashioned film. More often than not this picture soars - particularly in the final quarter when Scorsese returns to the type of filmmaking that is recognizably his.

The Aviator is Scorsese's thoughtful and loving attempt to delve into the mind of one of the world's most successful, fascinating, eccentric and misunderstood men. A man who would stop at nothing to realize his rather expensive and far-reaching dreams - the legendary Howard Hughes.

Anyone who knows anything about the rich and elusive Hughes also knows that to make a three hour movie about his entire life would be virtually impossible, so Scorsese opts to focus on what he felt was the most intriguing portion of this man's life, the years 1927 to 1947. This is perfectly fitting as 1927 was the year that Hughes was in the midst of shooting an enormously big budgeted World War I opus called Hell's Angels. Given Scorsese's passion for film, it seems only fitting that this is where his picture would start.

As The Aviator opens, we are witness to the larger-than-life Howard Hughes (an electrifying Leonardo DiCaprio), a wealthy visionary with a passion for aviation and cinema. A passion so big, in fact, that he decided to marry the two. The marriage is an intense one as Hughes spends over two years (and buckets of cash) finishing the project. He even goes so far as to remake the entire film with sound, as he believes talkies are the wave of the future, shortly after finishing production.

The first act of The Aviator is grand scale entertainment at it's very finest, and more importantly, it really sums up what kind of man Howard Hughes was. While many proclaimed him as an egomanical nutjob there's no denying that he was a true visionary and was always one step ahead of the game. He had a knack for knowing where the future was headed, and always wanted to be at the vangard of aviation technology. Hell's Angels was produced and released without any sort of movie studio involvement, and launched Hughes into the world of high profile celebrity, something this obsessive compulsive eccentric wasn't at all comfortable with.

The second act of the picture follows two paths - Hughes' aggressive (and impulsive) drive to push the limits of aviation (including creating the fastest aircraft) and his appetite for women, most notably legendary actress Katharine Hepburn (a magnetic Cate Blanchett), with whom he had a lengthy tryst. It is during hour two of the movie that we really begin to understand who Howard Hughes was on the inside, which is a miraculous task given the fact that Hughes virtually disappeared from the limelight in his later years.

The final hour of the picture offers up some of the most breathtaking imagery of Scorsese's illustrious career. We are witness to a horrifying plane crash (crafted with truly terrifying realism), and then Hughes' emotional and psychological meltdown. All of which had to occur before he could go on to face down an interrogation committee (hell bent on ruining his reputation and pushing him from the aviation community) so that he might clear his name. And also realize the completion of a colossal aircraft known then as The Hercules (now known as The Spruce Goose).

The Aviator is a sprawling piece of cinematic bravado to say the least. And while I couldn't help but feel that there were chunks of Hughes' life missing throughout this twenty year period as depicted in this dramatazation, Scorsese never loses focus on what the picture is really about - Howard Hughes. This isn't a story about the women he romanced or the people he did business with (although they clearly had an impact on his life - that's why they're included in this film). This movie is about the man himself, and his multitude of fascinating eccentricities, and Scorsese is able to put us inside Hughes head in a most intriguing and compelling way.

Bringing the complex Howard Hughes to life couldn't have been an easy task, but Leonardo DiCaprio does so with what appears to be effortless ease. This is an outstanding performance by an actor many thought all wrong for this big-screen portrait. One of the best of the year. There are so many layers to what DiCaprio does here, I don't know where to begin. His moments of obsessive compulsive behavior are intense, and his momentary lapses into madness are mesmerizing, but it's DiCaprio's playful moments I liked best. Watch him take on the MPAA over the use of breasts in a film, and marvel at his electrifying confrontation with Alan Alda during the climax of the picture. DiCaprio is just excellent here, and while there are many out there who enjoy taking jabs at this gifted actor (mostly because of his turn in Titanic-which I personally found outstanding), even they will most likely be hard pressed to find something negative to say about this soaring performance. He literally becomes The Aviator. This is his best work since his incredible, heartfelt performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio is the best thing in this outstanding and monumental film.

As solid as the entire cast is (i.e. Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Kate Beckinsale etc.), aside from DiCaprio, the most noteworthy performance in The Aviator comes courtesy of Cate Blanchett who nails Katharine Hepburn to a tee. As always, Scorsese shows enormous trust in his cast, and he really allows Blanchett to shine in the shoes of this legendary actress. This is one of her finest performances to date.

I really can't say enough kind words about Martin Scorsese. I've never hidden the fact that Steven Spielberg is my favorite film maker - partly because I grew up on his films. But as much as I love and admire his work, he's more of my sentimental favorite (although Schindler's List is perhaps my all time favorite film.) I'd have to say that pound for pound, Scorsese is the strongest film maker of all time in terms of quality. I can see the talkbacks flooding in already. "WHAT! ARE YOU CRAZY! WHAT ABOUT ORSON WELLES! WHAT ABOUT ALFRED HITCHCOCK! WHAT ABOUT STANLEY KUBRICK! WHAT ABOUT FELLINI! WHAT ABOUT BILLY WILDER! AND THE LIST GOES ON! I understand calling Scorsese the strongest film maker of all time is a bold statement (especially given that there are thousands upon thousands of films produced over the years that I've never seen before), but I can honestly say that I've been amazed by every one of his pictures in some shape or form. Even the Roger Corman produced Boxcar Bertha - even the widely criticized Bringing Out the Dead - and even the mildly disappointing Gangs of New York. For me, even Scorsese's letdowns are better than many film makers' masterpieces.

The Aviator certainly isn't flawless. It is a tad long, and as I previously stated, there do appear to be noticeable time gaps, but once again, Scorsese somehow manages to put the audience behind the eyeballs of this most mysterious mogul.

And for the first time in his career, Scorsese has used a high tech effects team to help bring his vision to life. He and his crew have done so in spectacular fashion. The various shots of planes taking flight do not feel like effects. They feel like the real deal. This is breathtaking stuff.

A lot went through my head while I watched this picture. Howard Hughes is the perfect subject for a movie. During the first hour, while he was shooting Hell's Angels (a film that Scorsese himself says he quite likes), Hughes reminded me, somewhat, of Ed Wood with his drive and "we'll finish this thing no matter what the cost" attitude. It didn't matter much to Hughes whether or not other people "got" what he was trying to do. All that mattered is that he got it. And I have to give this guy props for at least trying to do something with his billions. Sure, many of his dreams never materialized, but at least he made the effort. To him, money was only money, and advancement was much more important.

The Aviator is not my favorite Scorsese picture (that honor is a three way tie between Goodfellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, and the underrated The King of Comedy), but it is an amazing piece of film making nonetheless. It's passionate, stunningly crafted, beautiful to look at and anchored by a charismatic turn by Leonardo DiCaprio. The Aviator is bigger than life, something that Howard Hughes surely would have loved.

On a side note, check out Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard. It's a small, intimate picture from 1980 starring Jason Robards and Paul Le Mat, and serves as terrific companion piece to this outstanding film.