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As a bit of
a history buff, especially when mysteries
are involved, I’ve always had a bit
of an interest in Amelia Earhart. I’ve
read several books, even the ones that hypothesize
that she was abducted by aliens (a theory
I don’t believe by the way…),
so I was very drawn to the recent biopic,
“Amelia” starring Hilary Swank
and Richard Gere. While I did not venture
out into the real world to see it in theaters,
I did take an evening out to watch it on
Bluray. Unfortunately, I was not as enamored
of the film as I had hoped to be.
Amelia Earhart was an aviatrix and adventurer
who mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific
Ocean on July 2, 1937 (as if you didn’t
know). Her disappearance might have gone
unnoticed except for the fact that her life
prior to the famed flight was filled with
events that captivated the American public.
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She was the first woman to fly solo across the
Atlantic, was the first woman to receive the Distinguished
Flying Cross (for said flight), authored several
books, and was instrumental in the organization
of The Ninety-Nines. Even without her disappearance,
she left a legacy that firmly rooted her name
in the annals of history.
Swank steps into the shoes and attempts to wear
the goggles of the famed aviatrix, and on the
surface there seemed to be little doubt that she
would be nothing less than perfect. Physically
she looks a bit like Earhart and her track record
as an actress almost guaranteed a believable and
moving performance. Sadly, this somehow did not
seem to be the case. I was surprised to find her
take on Earhart to be stiff and flat, showing
none of the qualities that Earhart surely would
have had to capture so much attention. As much
as I hate to admit it, I found Amy Adams performance
as the waxen Earhart in “Night at the Museum
2” to have more life. And doing nothing
to help matters, Richard Gere offers very little
chemistry as Earhart’s husband, George Putnam.
When the two leads don’t have chemistry,
it strongly affects the finished product.
The film also stars Ewan McGregor as Gene Vidal,
who has long been suspected of being Earhart’s
lover. His performance is 180 degrees in the other
direction as he charms and builds a bit of believable
chemistry with Swank’s Earhart. Christopher
Eccleston also stars as Earhart’s navigator,
Fred Noonan (who was unfortunate enough to have
disappeared as well), in performance that is strong
and moving. The film opts to theorize on some
of the events taking place in the cabin of the
plane just prior to the disappearance, and while
we don’t know if this actually happened,
Eccleston highly outshines Swanks in these scenes.
Aside from the two main stars, who really could
have done a better job considering their talents,
“Amelia” simply washes over everything
too fast. Too many events in her life are covered
with too little time. Things seemed rushed, and
we never really get to see how some of them came
to pass. This happens with a lot of historical
films, but I would have rather seen “Amelia”
choose a few significant vents and delve deeply
into them in order to tell a riveting story as
opposed to a Reader’s Digest version of
an entire life.
That said, “Amelia” is not without
its merits. From technical and production standpoints
it is marvelous. The attention to detail, whether
it was in the re-creation of Earhart’s Lockheed
Electra 10E, the gorgeous costumes, or the look
of 1930’s America. Some of the sequences
are breathtaking and I strongly applaud everyone
involved with bringing this era to life. The Bluray
release’s phenomenal transfer wonderfully
exploited these strong visuals with vivid colors
and beautifully sharp image. The audio mix is
no slouch either, as ambient sounds filled our
living room. The flight sequences were strongly
enhanced by the sound reproduction of the various
planes. Where the film lacked in pacing and performances,
it made up for with its production value.
There are several extra features on this disc,
including several deleted scenes (a few of which
might have fleshed out the film better), as well
as a lengthy making of documentary. Additionally,
there is a short that features several people
discussing Earhart, one that focuses on the Electra,
and another on the other planes used in the film.
I was most happy to see a collection of Movietone
News Reels, which is easily the best extra on
the disc. Finally, there is a second disc for
the Digital Download, if you so desire.
“Amelia” was a film biopic that should
have, and I believe could have, been better. Amelia
Earhart is an icon in American history and personally
I felt she deserved a more fully realized look
into her brief, but memorable, life.
Directed by: Mira Nair
Starring: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere
Extras: Deleted Scenes; Additional Around the
World Flying Montage; Making Amelia; The Power
of Amelia Earhart; Movietone News Reels; Bonus
DIGITAL COPY of the film (2nd disc)
Specification: 1080p High Definition (2.40:1);
5.1 DTS-HD MA
Studio: 20 Century Fox
Release Date: 2/9/2010
MPAA Rating:
http://www.foxbluray.com
We'll give Amelia (Bluray) a C.
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