Amelia- Movie Review

A good movie can make us feel a number of things. It can take us places and make us wish we were back home simultaneously. Mira Nair's ambitious portrait of the mysterious Amelia Earhart is a daring attempt to show us the high price of our dreams and the courage it takes to get us there.

Although the Earhart story has been and told again, Nair has found insightful ways to probe the Kansas bumpkin who captured America's heart in the trying thirties. Played eerily well by Hillary Swank, Amelia is passionate and uncompromising. Her speech is plain, but infused with an enlightened adoration for the view from a cockpit and the feeling of tangible freedom. The film is sweeping, profound and colorful, offering not only Amelia's love/hate relationship with the spotlight, the essence of celebrity. No to mention swelling strings in almost every scene.

At the heart of this feature is the love that rages between Earhart and her husband and PR guru George Putnam. Richard Gere is more than qualified to deliver as the dutiful and tested spouse of the aviation legend. This picture will be loved and hated. It offers a tight script full of flawed characters who don't always say and do what we'd like, because while this portrait romanticizes the legend of the pilot, it demands the viewer realize that every dream has it's silver lining.

Early last May, Michael Mann presented a similar depiction of fame during this depression era with "Public Enemies." The two films offer almost inverse versions of the same story. The point being that public fascination with modern celebrity is much like man's ambition, it can easily alter those we hold most dear. I feel Nair's imagining of Amelia is faithful to the tragic and powerful story of a woman who lived exactly how she wanted. Even as her determination cost her her life, it inspired a nation, which is the very definition of a legacy.

Facebook Crime 101

Beware of what you post on Facebook. Criminals could be using that information to target you for theft! Think about it. How many of your Facebook friends talk about their new flat screen TV or post pictures of the Jamaican vacation they’re on? A new report says criminals are using this information to find their next targets. Michael Fraser is a former burglar who helped put the report together. He says it works like this: The bad guys will send out hundreds of friend requests on Facebook and Twitter, and see who bites, which is a lot of people. 13% of people on Facebook and 92% of people on Twitter will accept a request, no questions asked. Once they have access to your personal profile, Fraser says they’ll follow you closely and wait for you to post something about a new gadget you bought or an upcoming vacation. Then they make their move.

Some Facebookers make it really easy for crooks. They post party pictures that clearly show the interior of their homes. Fraser says this gives criminals a leg-up when they’re breaking in. Almost 10% of men actually post their HOME ADDRESS on their profile! Women are a little smarter, only 4% of women post addresses. Think about this: There are just over 15-million women on Facebook in North America. That means over 600,000 women are posting their personal home addresses for anyone to find!

So, who’s the worst offender when it comes to posting personal details online? Teens and young adults. According to the study almost two thirds of people between the ages of 16 and 24 are posting where they’ll be and when, on their Facebook page. This same age group is also more likely to accept a friend request from a total stranger. Not a good combo. So don’t let yourself become a target. Don’t ever accept a stranger’s friend request and keep private information private. If you want to catch friends and family up on a vacation you’re taking or a new entertainment system you just bought, send out an email from your personal account. That way you’ll know exactly who has access to the information.