"AMELIA": LONG OVERDUE TALE OF TRUE AMERICAN HEROINE
Written: Oct 30 '09
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Strong acting and writing, beautiful photography and music score
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Made as many of the films of the 40's and 50's, this is a beautiful view of any amazing woman.
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| mike.holmes's Full Review: Amelia |
I've looked forward to this film since I saw the first trailers for the movie. In the first place, I don't believe that there could have been a better choice than Hilary Swank for the role of the Amelia Earhart.
I was somewhat stunned to find out that this is the first full length movie about one of the greatest heroes (or heroines) of the 20th Century. Almost everyone knows the general story of Ms. Earhart, but, for some reason, no one had taken the time to produce a movie about her life.
While the reviews of the film have not been that positive, I loved the movie.
THE "PLOT"
Based on an actual life of a person, there is obviously not a "plot" in the typical meaning of that word. The majority of the film is told in flashback sequences from Amelia's fateful final attempted flight around the world.
As Amelia is flying over various parts of the world, she thinks back to her various experiences leading up to that flight. Earhart (Swank-"Million Dollar Baby", "Boys Don't Cry") had wanted to fly from a very early age and began flying as a teenager.
In her 20's, Amelia met the man who would become the primary love of her life and the chief financial backer of her flying adventures, George Putham (Richard Gere-"Chicago", "Pretty Woman", "Primal Fear"). Putham was much older than Amelia and they had a early version of an "open marriage" due to Amelia's unwillingness to be "tied down" to one person.
The film shows Earhart's relationship with Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor-"Moulin Rouge!", "Trainspotting") who was the flight instructor at the West Point Military Academy when they met. Although Amelia and Vidal were romantically involved for a time, their relationship ended and her last years were devoted to Putham and flying.
The film primarily shows Earhart's various adventures which included flying as the first woman passenger across the Atlantic, the first solo flight across the Atlantic by a woman, and, of course, the attempted flight around the world.
WHY I REALLY ENJOYED THE FILM
I suppose "enjoyed" is a bit strong. I was certainly moved by the film even though I knew how it would end. Come to think of it, maybe that's why nobody had ever made a movie about Amelia before.
However, the film has a very strong docu-drama framework which I found very interesting. There are a few facts that I have left out of my review but most of the movie is historically accurate.
I've heard or read criticism of both the acting and the script for the film but I totally disagree with those views. While Swank, Gere, and Ewan don't exactly show great bouts of emotion in the film, I believe that this is probably a fairly close representation of the people they were portraying. Swank's portrayal of Amelia comes across as a very determined "feminist" before that word was in vogue. Her role requires a strong, no-nonsense portrayal and I thought Swank performed perfectly in that capcity.
Gere portrayed the romantic Putham with just the right amount of passion and ultimate understanding of his very unusual wife. The times were very different in the first third of the 20th Century and Gere's character was just as strong as Earhart in his own way.
McGregor's character is less developed but Ewan still brings a quiet passion to the role that seemed realistic to me.
Concerning the script, which was written by two seasoned veterans, Ronald Bass ("Rain Man", "The Joy Luck Club") and Anna Hamilton Phelan ("Gorillas in the Mist", "Girl, Interrupted"), once again I thought that the writers accurately represented the characters and events. Once again, the times were very different in the 20's and 30's and I believe the script reflected the feelings and actions of the true life characters.
The director, Mira Nair ("Monsoon Wedding", "Vanity Fair") and, of course the writers, chose to present this film is a fairly straight-forward manner with what appear to me to very few "flights of fancy." The progression of the story, even is flashback sequential framework, keeps the action moving toward the fateful final flight of Ms. Earhart which has remained a mystery to this day.
The film is beautifully photographed by Stuart Dryburgh ("The Piano", "Runaway Bride") with scenes virtually all around the world and effective scenes in the air during Amelia's various flights. I also enjoyed the original music by Gabriel Yared ("Cold Mountain", "The English Patient") particularly the "love theme" which appears throughout the film.
I'll mention one other major reason why I liked the movie: the film is rated PG and contains no nudity, bad language or violence. I know that that is shocking in today's modern world of R+ films dominating the box office. Since the film is so devoted to the historical aspects of this remarkable lady, I believe the choice of making the film without sex, bad language and violence makes the film more accessible to children and people who like movies the way they were made yesteryear. I found the film refreshing.
FIVE STARS
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Serious Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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Epinions.com ID:
mike.holmes
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Member: Mike Holmes
Location: Odessa, Texas
Reviews written: 1263
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About Me:
TO HONOR TED KENNEDY, CONGRESS SHOULD PASS A MEANINGFUL HEALTH CARE BILL
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