The Aviator

Following their triumphant pairing in Gangs Of New York, legendary director Martin Scorsese again teams up with heart-throb Leonardo DiCaprio in this portrait of billionaire industrialist Howard Hughes.

The role of Hughes is perfect for DiCaprio.

He was not only dashing, glamorous and hugely rich but had a reputation for romancing a string of beautiful women including Katherine Hepburn (Blanchett) and Ava Gardner (Beckinsale).

Hughes also enjoyed not one but two highly successful careers, one as an aviation pioneer famous for developing aircraft designs and undertaking test-flying missions, and another as a Hollywood producer, responsible for launching the careers of actresses such as Jean Harlow (Stefani).

Scorsese is known to be a fan of several of Hughes' films - indeed, the film opens with Hughes working on Hell's Angels, said to be one of Scorsese's personal favourites.

Yet as you would expect from the title, the airbourne aspect is hardly neglected, with substantial screen-time devoted to DiCaprio in solo flight.

In ending the film in the late Forties, Scorsese chooses not to cover Hughes' later period as a virtual recluse, although there are hints of his increasingly erratic behaviour as he starts to withdraw from the world.

With a strong cast that also includes Alec Baldwin as Juan Trippe, Ian Holm as Professor Fitz and Alan Alda as Ralph Owen Brewster, The Aviator is an impressive offering from perhaps the greatest director alive today.

It might not be in the league of Mean Streets or Raging Bull but, hey, they're always there in the video shop.