Flight (2012)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Written by: John Gatins
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, Kelly Reilly
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlFMZ5D8FNc[/youtube]
Running Time: 138 minutes
Certification: 15
Reviewer: David Gillespie – Official HCF Artist
With the 85th Academy Awards just a few weeks away, Denzel Washington is already being touted as a front runner to win the Best Male category with his performance as a heroic flight captain with a drink problem. Although 2012 was not a great year for top quality movies, both the male and female categories remain very strong. I would expect that Daniel Day Lewis, Joaquim Pheonix and Hugh Jackman will all fancy their chances of grabbing the gong. My heart says Pheonix will win it but my head suggests Jackman will bag the top honour.
Flight is a character study of an alcoholic pilot who is destined for a similar fate to the passengers that step onto the faulty JR-88 aircraft. On the night before, Whip Whittaker (Washington) consumes a vast amount of booze and cocaine with his lover and fellow cabin colleague, Katerina (Nadine Velaquez). The following morning he swallows three vodka miniatures before entering the aircraft’s cockpit for their journey to Atlanta. After dealing with a rough take-off, a faulty section on the tail results in the plane plummeting towards land. Everyone panics except Whittaker. His quick thinking and ability to utilize unorthodox manoeuvres allows him to land the plane and save the vast majority of the passengers on-board.
The media hails Whittaker a hero but someone has to pay for the loss of life and revenue. A union representative and old friend, Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood) and a top Chicago lawyer (Don Cheadle) are brought in to defend the flight captain when a blood test reveals him to be over the limit before the flight. The remainder of movie charters a man that is too proud and arrogant to recognise an addiction that is ripping his world apart. It also questions whether he should be praised for saving his passengers from an almost certain death or put to the sword after stepping onto the plane in such an inebriated state?
Flight is a fascinating character study of the depths people will go to in avoiding responsibility for their addiction. On one hand I loathe society’s need to root the blame on some form of ‘scapegoat’ to sweep the matter under the carpet, yet should someone in a position of such responsibility be regarded a hero when carrying out his duty in such a drunken state? Denzel Washington does a marvellous job in repelling his audience yet gaining their sympathy. In one painful scene, we watch as he is drawn to the light of a hotel minibar like a moth to a flame. Whether he will win the gong for his performance remains uncertain but I wouldn’t think it would be an injustice should his name be a revealed on the golden card. Most of the supporting cast are solid if not remarkable with their performances. British actress, Kelly Reilly does the best she can in an underwritten role as the love interest with her own addiction and John Goodman hams it up as Whip’s flamboyant drug dealer.
Zemeckis achieves a compelling, if uneven, drama with some tense and breath-taking sequences. The highlight is obviously the flight scene which is both exciting and horrifying. There is a fantastic moment when both captain and co-pilot glance at each other seconds before the crash landing. Their expressions suggest that they won’t be walking out of this one.
Flight is probably the last film I would suggest watching days before setting off on your holidays abroad but it is a journey I would recommend taking.
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