Friday, Sep. 04, 2009

Amelia

Opens Oct. 23
The biopic is a genre it's easy to feel ambivalent about, and Hilary Swank is an actress of talent but inconsistent appeal. Yet director Mira Nair's version of the Amelia Earhart story, starring Swank as the doomed pilot, looks promising. Nair (Monsoon Wedding) is a master at telling women's stories, Swank's eager grin and boyish physicality make her a dead ringer for Earhart, and getting to see the woman most famous for vanishing reappear, even if only Hollywood-style, should be a treat. Let's just hope the film has some of Earhart's daring. —Mary Pols