The Aviator
It's strange, I was thinking about what I'd give the movie, out of 5, and I settled on 4. I desperately wanted to give it a 5, because it's a great picture. Howard Hughes' story is an incredibly fascinating one, and Scorsese shows it honestly and very tastefully. The look of the film, from costuming to sets, is gorgeous, as is the choice of music. It does a great job of putting you in the time period. Schoonmaker's editing is flawless, and keeps the film running at a brisk pace, which is essential considering it's almost 3 hours long. So, all these great accolades, and only giving it a 4? I have no idea why, it just doesn't have the same 'punch' that you'd get from other classis 5/5 films, really. It's a great, grandly entertaining film, but I don't think it'll hold up over a long period, many rewatchings and intense scrutiny. But, it really is a ride of a film, and it's well worth your 3 hours.