Reviewed by Kate Rodger
Director
of the fabulous Monsoon Wedding Mira Nair is at
the helm of this Hollywood make-over of Amelia Earhart’s life, a slice
of history well worth the telling.
Double
Oscar-winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t
Cry/Million Dollar Baby) takes on the
role of Earhart, the girl from Kansas who embraced the thrill of flying
in her early twenties, and went on to make history.
Breaking
all kinds of flying records, including being the first woman to fly
solo across the Atlantic, her story is a fascinating one. She and her
navigator went missing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937, during their
attempt to circumnavigate the globe, and they have never been found.
Their disappearance still fascinates historians, with theories
abounding on their eventual fate.
While there is
plenty right there to form the backbone of a great historical biopic,
it’s her love story the filmmakers seem more focussed on.
Richard Gere (An Officer and
a Gentleman/Shall We Dance) plays
George Putnam, Earhart’s publisher who eventually convinced her to
marry him.
Ewan McGregor
(Trainspotting/Revenge of the
Sith) lurks around the periphery, as fellow aviator Gene
Vidal, another of Earhart’s supposed romances.
The
pioneering aviatrix lead an inspiring and extraordinary life, the film
of her life unfortunately does not mirror that.
Swank
is well cast as Earhart, both in looks and demeanour, but her insistent
wide-eyed perkiness becomes rather grating over the almost two hour
stretch.
On the upside, Kiwi cinematographer
Stuart Dryberg (The Piano/The Painted
Veil) does another stunning job here. You get the flavour
and taste of the era and the re-creations are authentic and
seamless.
Overall, the film delivers the Hollywood version of the history lesson, but misses out on the drama.
An inoffensive but far from compelling two and a half star watch.
Amelia
:: Director: Mira Nair
:: Starring: Hilary Swank and Richard Gere
:: Running Time: 111 mins
:: Rating: PG - Low Level Offensive Language
:: Release Date: December 10, 2009
::
Trailer: Click
here
