The Aviator: Martin Scorsese's brilliant Howard Hughes biopic comes to Neon

The Aviator (M, 163mins) Directed by Martin Scorsese ****½

Born in Humble, Texas, in 1905, Howard Robard Hughes jun was one of the most influential Americans of the 20th century.

A multi-millionaire businessman, film producer, film director and aeroplane enthusiast, Hughes was also known as "the world's greatest womaniser", dating a string of Hollywood starlets including Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Jane Russell (whom he even designed a half-cup bra for).

Despite this, he was notoriously publicity shy and germophobic, eventually becoming a recluse (inspiring Bond character Willard Whyte in Diamonds are Forever and a memorable Simpsons' episode), conducting his business empire from sealed-off hotel suites until his death in 1976.

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Martin Scorsese's 2004 film (originally to be directed by biopic king Michael Mann) focuses on Hughes' most productive and provocative time, from starting work on war movie Hells Angels in 1927 to being accused of war profiteering by a United States Senate committee 20 years later.

It's the time when he dreamed beyond drill bits, broke all the rules in Hollywood and all the records in the air.

Nominated for 11 Oscars and 14 Baftas (winnning five and four respectively), The Aviator was a superb return to top form for Scorsese after the slight disappointments of Bringing Out the Dead and Gangs of New York.

Robert Richardson's cinematography is, at times, breathtaking, as projector light, flash bulbs and reflections are all used to great effect. Scorsese designed each year in the film to look just the way a colour film from that time period would look, one of many masterstrokes which lift The Aviator into the upper stratosphere.

Peter Jackson's favourite composer Howard Shore also chimes in with a terrifically evocative score, allied to an eclectic soundtrack that encompasses everything from Bach to the Manhattan Rhythm Kings.

Even pushing three hours, John Logan's (Gladiator/The Last Samurai) impressive screenplay never drags or bores. A newsreel-style voiceover keeps the action moving and the audience informed, the dialogue zings and the drama compels.

Among the many mini-highlights are a wonderful lunchtime conversation at the Hepburns, golfing banter between Hepburn and Hughes and a discussion about Jane Russell's mammaries with the Movie Ratings Board.

At the epicentre of this movie maelstrom is an assured and adroit performance by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Not always living up to his billing as the "greatest actor of his generation" _ for every star turn in the likes of Romeo & Juliet and Catch Me If You Can, there's been a hollow performance like those in Titanic or The Beach – DiCaprio here gets into and under the skin of the milk-drinking, urine-bottling, tennis-shoe-toting multi-millionaire with great aplomb. He conveys the dichotomy of Hughes' character extremely well – although a brilliant thinker and orator, he was slowly succumbing to an obsessive compulsive disorder which left him paralysed by fear and sounding like a broken record.

In support are an impressive cast of players, including Alan Alda, John C Reilly, Willem Dafoe, Jude Law, Ian Holm and Alec Baldwin.

Only the women seem let down by Logan's script. Gwen Stefani's acting debut as Jean Harlow is surprisingly brief, while Kate Beckinsale's Ava Gardner is woefully two-dimensional.

Thank goodness then for Cate Blanchett's Katherine Hepburn. You can't fault her screen presence or her delivery of the rat-a-tat dialogue which made Hepburn such a star.