Amelia (Cert. PG, 111 mins)
Stars: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson, Cherry Jones, Mia Wasikowska
Directed by Mira Nair
Rating: 2/5

A FILM about the first woman of aviation – who recklessly inspired millions of women to break gender boundaries and whose life was cut short in enduringly mysterious circumstances – should be the stuff of studio executives’ dreams, right?

Well, apparently not, going by the new biopic of American icon Amelia Earhart.

For despite the best efforts of two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank, who tackles the role of the plucky aviatrix with gusto, Amelia the film fails to take flight.

The criticism starts the moment the characters open their mouths to deliver an unrelenting avalanche of cliches.

The film focuses on the decade between Earhart’s first flight across the Atlantic in 1928 and her disappearance during a round the world flight in 1937.

Her exceptional achievements are consistently undercut by a stilted, clunky script

The aim of the film may be to inspire, but you’re more likely to be left feeling emotionally cold by the time the credits roll.