I just attended an advanced screening of director Mira Nair's Amelia, a biopic about legendary female pilot Amelia Earhart. The film begins from the point Earhart meets eventual husband George P. Putnam (Richard Gere), who helps guide her into becoming America's premiere heroine during The Depression. The film ends at the point of her disappearance, after almost completing an ambitious flight around the world.The amazing thing about this film is the effervescent Hilary Swank, who remains one of my favourite actresses of all time. Her Oscar-winning turns in Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby both left a deep impression on me and sometimes in life when I reflect on what it is I want and how far I am willing to go to achieve it, Swank's deeply-affecting performances come to mind. Her convincing portrayal of Earhart is pretty much the only remarkable thing about the film, above the fantastic costumes and cinematography. Unfortunately, Nair fails to bring out the best from the quality cast and this in effect hinders Swank's chances in the Oscar race for Best Lead Actress, which appears to be what Fox Searchlight Pictures is gunning for.
Swank and Gere have very little chemistry and it is only in their final scene together in which they converse through transmitters, that you sense the two have any hint of a loving bond. The scene is magical and it is the one defining moment in Amelia. The fantastic Ewan McGregor is underutilized as Gene Vidal, the man who leads Earhart astray from her marriage.
After watching this film, I failed to understand what it is that drives Earhart to fulfill her ambitions other than her husband navigating her towards fame. Much emphasis is placed on what an ill-equipped pilot Earhart was for the sake of foreshadowing and consistent storytelling. If you ask me, this is a great injustice. We are presented with a chronolgical timeline in Earhart's life instead of being given any real insight into the internal struggles she faced in her life including issues with fidelity and wanting to do good for a nation in need of inspiration. This alone would've made for a much better film. Amelia hits theatres October 23, 2009. Grade: C+
Swank and Gere have very little chemistry and it is only in their final scene together in which they converse through transmitters, that you sense the two have any hint of a loving bond. The scene is magical and it is the one defining moment in Amelia. The fantastic Ewan McGregor is underutilized as Gene Vidal, the man who leads Earhart astray from her marriage.
After watching this film, I failed to understand what it is that drives Earhart to fulfill her ambitions other than her husband navigating her towards fame. Much emphasis is placed on what an ill-equipped pilot Earhart was for the sake of foreshadowing and consistent storytelling. If you ask me, this is a great injustice. We are presented with a chronolgical timeline in Earhart's life instead of being given any real insight into the internal struggles she faced in her life including issues with fidelity and wanting to do good for a nation in need of inspiration. This alone would've made for a much better film. Amelia hits theatres October 23, 2009. Grade: C+
Too bad I didn't get to see you at the screening. I think you were too kind to give it a B-. I would've given it a C but I agree with many of your points. There was no real drama, no real conflict and if there was it went like,
ReplyDelete"I wanna fly."
"You can't fly."
"I'm gonna do it anyways." - and she does.
Overall, it was a boring film - but a decent biopic.
Thanks Christine! There's just so much they could've done with this film. In many ways it is an injustice instead of a tribute to someone remarkable.
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