The Aviator

A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career, from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s. 'At nearly three hours it's expansive but never dull, while the 20s-40s are superbly recreated, Hughes' Beverly Hills plane crash is stunning and the conclusion, which initially seems anticlimactic, is haunting. Like Hughes' flying boat The Spruce Goose, The Aviator is imposing, spectacular, and hard to get off the ground. But when it takes off, it soars.' BBCi