Review of Amelia (2009) by Eric O — 25 Jan 2010

With much promise from its truly compelling real life mystery, "Amelia" fails to really dramatize the life of Amelia Earhart and never gets off the ground (pardon the pun) while basically presenting the facts of her life in a rather wooden way that not even Hilary Swank can save.

It is Swank's uncanny performance that really should work and give the film some spark. Unfortunately, her accurate depiction of Amelia Earhart gets swallowed up by the film's staleness. Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor play their roles well, but Swank is the main attraction.

She's the type of actress who can be so perfect for a role that when she gets it right the result is magical. In a better movie her performance would be more recognized. The film's most exciting sequences were the times when Amelia was up in the air.

The last part alone, which shows Amelia's final flight and her unfortunate lack of radio communication that leads to her disappearance. That last section is thrilling and really the only memorable part of the film.

Perhaps that's the trouble with making a biopic about Amelia Earhart. The only interesting part of her life is the mystery and conspiracy of her death. Her life doesn't allow itself for compelling drama.

We know her to be a brave and strong woman who became a beacon for feminism, but that's easily learned in a history lesson and not necessarily poised for film entertainment. "Amelia" doesn't try to answer the big question: What happened to Amelia? It leaves the audience with her flying over the ocean.

Surprisingly, that final note works. It leaves us with a bittersweet feeling of a tragedy but also with the idea that she was a brave woman who felt at home in the air. This biopic follows all the right guidelines and it does a solid job of presenting the period.

Although, it lacks any real conflict or drama that makes these films of people's lives thrilling. For an example, Scorsese's "The Aviator" had such style, tension, and real energy to it.

"Amelia" is it's polar opposite by being a somewhat dull yet perfectly respectable portrait of a famous aviator.