"The Aviator" soars and disturbs

From jazz-era dreamer to war-era profiteer, "The Aviator" chronicles several decades of the sometimes glamorous, sometimes mentally depraved life of filmmaker and aviator Howard Hughes.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays an amazingly nuanced Hughes from his initial youthful vivacity and idealism to his eventual spiral into intense germophobia and paranoia. DiCaprio's performance in "The Aviator" is mind-blowing proof that his acting has evolved from pretty-boy roles to more serious, challenging and profound undertakings. His most moving and emotionally reverberating scenes include one in which a new airplane prototype that he is test-piloting crashes, and another series of scenes in which Hughes indulges his growing madness behind the locked door of a viewing room in his Hollywood home.

"The Aviator" is also peppered with substantive cameos, most notably those of Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Ian Holm as quirky meteorologist Fritz, Kate Beckinsale as starlet Ava Gardner and Alec Baldwin as slimy Pan-Am executive Juan Trippe. The supporting actors and actresses who made wonderful contributions are Alan Alda as Senator Ralph Owen Brewster and John C. Reilly as Hughes' financier Noah Dietrich. Though Cate Blanchett was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Katharine Hepburn, her portrayal of the late actress was more of a caricature than a true portrayal.

Director Martin Scorsese seemingly meant to manufacture this film to win him a long-deserved Oscar; the epic depth and breadth of the story is present in "The Aviator," as is characteristic of Scorsese. Screenwriter John Logan wrote a masterful script that is large in scope but hardly overambitious, especially with the talent involved in bringing the story to life. Production designer Dante Ferretti, set designers Francesca Loschiaro and Carrie Wilksen and costume designer Sandy Powell created a flawless ambient backdrop for "The Aviator," making the film feel genuine.

All of its grandeur and subtlety considered, "The Aviator" is not for the squeamish. The vivid plane crash scene, as well as the scenes in which the graphic and disturbing nature of Hughes' condition are revealed, are so well-created that they leave a very lasting impression upon the viewer. The content, though almost light-hearted towards the beginning, grows heavy as the film progresses. But, if in the mood to learn from and appreciate an astonishingly well-made film, "The Aviator" is a sure bet.

"The Aviator" (170 minutes) is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual content, nudity, language and a crash sequence. It is now playing everywhere.