Amelia

Swank is indeed talented, but not talented enough to translate the true spirit of the great Amelia Earhart. The famous aviatrix is still intangible here, despite Swank's close physical resemblance to the famed pilot. In a way, that's what’s the matter with the film itself. Gorgeously filmed, especially when Earhart takes to the skies, Amelia nevertheless feels untethered. And it never quite takes flight. Director Mira Nair knows how to create stunning visual poetry, but that doesn’t help us get to know the icon. Was she reckless? Was she a visionary? How did she feel about her achievements?

It’s only when we see Earhart in the cockpit that we get a sense, if fleetingly, of the great joy she must have felt when she was up in the air; free, as you can imagine her saying. The script is uneven: Too much attention is paid to a young Gore Vidal (who’s not actually essential to the plot) and not enough to his father, Gene (played soundly by MacGregor), who captivated Earhart enough to lure her away from her husband. But why, we don’t know. After nearly two hours of film, there’s just too much viewers don't get to find out.