We’ve reached the final curtain call for our Cate Blanchett spotlight here on We Drink & We Watch Things, and we’re closing out with the performance that officially turned her into an Oscar winner: Martin Scorsese’s 2004 epic, The Aviator. It’s the ultimate meta-cinematic challenge - one of the greatest modern actresses stepping into the sensible shoes of the greatest Golden Age actress, Katharine Hepburn. Mix yourself something classic and sophisticated - perhaps a Howard's Punch by Mackenzie - and let’s head to the golf course.
This week, we examine the sheer audacity of Cate’s "impersonation-turned-performance," looking at how she mastered that iconic, rapid-fire New England lockjaw and the athletic, "don’t-fence-me-in" energy that defined Hepburn. We break down her electric chemistry with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Howard Hughes, specifically that brilliantly uncomfortable family dinner at the Hepburn estate where two different worlds of American aristocracy collide. We also discuss the film’s stunning visual evolution, as Scorsese uses "two-strip" and "three-strip" Technicolor effects to mirror the era, and how Cate manages to shine through the stylized, vibrant hues as a woman who was "too much" for any one man to hold onto.
If you love the glamour of Old Hollywood, the technical precision of a master at work, or just want to hear us debate if anyone else could have pulled off "Hot Dawg!" with such conviction, this is the perfect finale. We’re blending our awe for her first Academy Award-winning turn with our usual casual banter, making this a truly legendary conclusion to our first Actress Month run.
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