Leonardo DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes in the most public period of his life. Inheriting his father's fortune, Hughes embarks on an independent film career, staging the most adventurous aviation picture of the time, Hells Angels. Hughes was also a pioneer of aircraft design, driven by a vision of international travel for the masses. The man was larger than life and so were the women by his side – one being Katherine Hepburn played by Cate Blanchett.
DiCaprio and Blanchett manage to pull off these difficult roles with great sensitivity and energy.
Dicaprio and Blanchett manage to pull off these difficult roles with great sensitivity and energy. But this is by no means a thorough exploration of Howard Hughes. He had a dark side in which his obsessive compulsive nature eventually isolated him from the world. Scorsese only takes us to the beginning of his decline preferring to celebrate his achievements. Using precision model work and meticulous set design, Scorsese lifts Hughes out of his madness and gives him back to the world with the respect he deserved. This is magnificent filmmaking.
