Published: October 22, 2009 11:44 pm      

'Amelia' deserves better than this

GREENVILLE — AMELIA

America’s revered aviatrix Amelia Earhart deserves a better biopic than director Mira Nair (“The Namesake,” “Monsoon Wedding”) and screenwriters Ronald Bass and Ann Hamilton Phelan’s superficial portrait of the Depression Era heroine who inspired generations of women. Aside from the spectacular airborne sequences, the film, with too much stilted dialogue, seems more like a made-for-television movie than a big screen saga.

Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank physically resembles the freckle-faced pilot from Kansas, but the award-winnng actress’ portrayal surprisingly comes across as a bland character study which leaves out the motivation of this thrill-seeking aviation pioneer. Richard Gere as George Putnam, Earhart’s mentor and husband, and Ewan McGregor as her lover Gene Vidal,º are believable as the two men in her life. Christopher Eccleston portrays navigator Fred Noonan. Cherry Jones adds sparkle as the adventurous Eleanor Roosevelt enjoying an evening flight.

Filmmaker Nair and cinematographer Stuart Drybrugh succeed in their presentation of the magnificent sensation of flying. The film is at its best when it offers stunning aerial scenery and recreates Earhart’s well-documented flights across the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Rated PG 2 and 1/2 Stars

THE DAMNED UNITED

We call it a field. In England it’s a pitch. We call it soccer. In England it’s football.

As football manager Brian Clough, actor Michael Sheen continues to portray notable British people, such as Tony Blair (“The Queen, “The Deal”) and David Frost (“Frost/Nixon”).

In his first feature film, three-time Emmy winner Tom Hooper (TV’s “John Adams”) directs from a script by acclaimed screenwriter Peter Morgan.

Through flashbacks, “The Damned United” follows Clough’s career, first as the manager of the Derby County League Championship team, and then in 1974 as the replacement for his nemesis Don Revie (Colm Meaney) at powerhouse Leeds United. As Revie takes over England’s World Cup team, Clough suffers through belligerent fans and arrogant, disobedient players who remain loyal to the departed Revie. Worst of all, Clough finds that he is lost without his longtime assistant, Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall), who is now working with a team in Brighton.

Once again Sheen gives a seamless performance as yet another famous Brit.

Rated R 3 Stars

GOOD HAIR

When Chris Rock’s 5-year-old daughter, Lola, asked, “Daddy, why don’t I have good hair?” the comedian decided to explore the complicated subject of African-American hair and to discover what “good hair” means to black people.

Jeff Stilas directs the documentary, which follows Rock as he interviews African-American celebrities such as Maya Angelou, Ice-T, Nia Long, Raven-Symone, Eve and Al Sharpton. He attends a hair styling competition in Atlanta, travels to a temple in India where young girls have their heads shaved, goes to a scientific laboratory where he learns about the dangers of hair straightening and visits salons where he witnesses the costly, very popular process of weaving.

The erratic, funny and thought-provoking, documentary could have been improved with less emphasis on the bizarre hair contest.

Rated PG-13 2 Stars