Out of the Mind

aviator
Originally uploaded by mincaye.

Just got to watch The Aviator yesterday, and though it isn't a movie that appeals immediately, some images remain imprinted on the mind and linger long after it's over.

I must say it's among the best movies I've watched this year, up there with The Incredibles, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Pianist (though the last wasn't released this year).

The Aviator begins rather slowly, but what's engaging is that hardly any emphasis is placed on the supporting characters, who are sparse in their appearances, for the actual story/battle takes place within Howard Hughes' (Leonardo DiCaprio) mind.

He plays the role rather well, looking very convincingly disturbed as the victim of obsessive-compulsive disorder, so much so that I began to feel uneasy at times during the movie!

Somehow, I still feel the movie wasn't as great as I thought it'd be, meandering and wandering in seeming confusion at times. But maybe that's the idea, to portray the suffering of the protagonist through the very style of the movie.

For when Hughes does in fact triumph at the end, it is a well-calculated and soaring conclusion that puts everything that preceded it into perspective.

At that moment, if not earlier, the audience becomes one with Hughes all over again, and it becomes clear why he's where he is. It's a rallying challenge to transcend earth-boundness and fly -- a call no one, sane or insane, would turn their back on.

All said and done, though, my vote still lies with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.