AMELIA

Girl's blah blah blah...

Hilary Swank has fallen far from her Oscar wins with this one. Ameila Earhart, to a young girl raised in the North American education system, was a well-noted female heroine, someone us girls were to look up to. Watching this movie, I can't seem to understand why. She wasn't overly smart. She was kind of a slut, an adulteress no less. And! She died because she was too stubborn to realize maybe what she -wanted- to do, could not be done. In my opinion, it seems my teachers were trying to teach me three lessons: one, you don't have to be smart to get far in life, so don't go to school; two, sleep with whoever you want without the guilt, even when you get married; and three, do what you want to do, even if it'll most likely mean you kill yourself and some other innocent along the way, leaving your husband a widower and many more traumatized for the loss.

This movie was slow, boring, and had no real conflict throughout it's duration. There is the flying, yes, but any conflict there is diffused by the dull visual of Hilary Swank nervous in a cockpit with a silly hat on. It doesn't make for great cinema. Also, the fact she is a woman was a big deal in reality, but in the movie she seemed to get what she wanted and charm her way along when she didn't, so any gender conflicts were, again, diffused.

Girl's Rating: It seems the script was written with the hope that the appeal of Ameila's character would be enough to pull an audience through 111 minutes... Well, it wasn't.

Guy's view of flying...

To be honest, I didn't know that much about Amelia Earhart. My knowledge of her was that I knew that she flew planes. I knew she was someone that young females looked up to as well, but not how much. I have never looked up to anyone that decided to be a pilot. I just feel that they're stupid, and I might think this because I've developed a fear of flying over the years. This movie proves my point too: It's dangerous to fly. Earhart died in her plane and nobody found her.

The thing that bugs me the most about this picture is the never ending voiceover by Hillary Swank where she recites poem-like sentences about how beautiful the sky and clouds are. Was Earhart a poet? Or are these thoughts from an old diary of hers they found? Whatever it was, it was really annoying.

Hillary Swank is famous for playing strong women. Her part in "Million Dollar Baby" is the first that springs to mind. Sure, Amelia Earhart was a strong and great woman but in this movie it seems like her husband gets her all the endorsements, planes and whatnots. After he does the legwork she "just" flies the plane. I mean they could have painted her to be a more competent woman.

On another note. The acting in this movie from everyone was just awful. Everything was overplayed and I felt sorry for most of the talent. I guess with the director strting off in Bollywood, she just got used to overacting.

Guy's Rating: I'd rather be on a nine hour plane ride with turbulence than watch this movie again.