Flight
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Genre: Drama
- Details: US/ 138 mins (15 A)
Using gut instinct and immense talent, Captain Whip Whitaker (Washington) has just saved an airplane from nose-diving into the ground, instead using some outlandish tactics to land the plane relatively safely, saving 96 of the 102 passengers on board. While being hailed as a hero by the survivors and the reporters covering the tragedy, what people don't know is that Whitaker was both drunk and high as a kite on coke when the plane crashed. So while Whitaker did save the day, there is a chance that the blame for the crash may well be shifted from the poorly maintained aircraft, and placed squarely at his feet.
This is the interesting moral dilemma at the centre of Robert Zemeckis' latest feature and one that you'll walk away thinking about. Zemeckis has been missing for a while after pioneering the motion-capture movies (The Polar Express, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol), but has always been pushing the technological envelope even with his live action feature films (Back To The Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath and Forrest Gump). With Flight, however - aside from the crash scene itself, which is a tour de force of sound and visual fury - he lets the story and the actors take centre stage, while his visual flourishes take a back seat.
Washington well deserves his Oscar nomination playing a highly functioning addict; he still manages to remain hugely charismatic while playing the nastiest character this side of Training Day. Kelly Reilly - best known for being Jude Law's wife in Sherlock Holmes - plays the potential love interest, but is unfortunately saddled with the least interesting section of the movie. Whenever Zemeckis steers away from the crash investigations and into Whitaker's private life, the movie veers too close to becoming a daytime movie about substance abuse. Other little niggles can be found too; the soundtrack is a little too on-the-nose (Washington’s cocaine binge is scored by Black Crowes "Feelin' Alright", for example), and John Goodman's supporting character seems to have wandered in from a completely different movie.
But all in all, Flight is a great director and a great actor both reminding the world that they are still among the best at what they do.
Review by Rory Cashin | 15:00 | Friday 1st February 2013 | Movie Review
Comments
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Fozz
Gripping start and a decent ending sandwich a dragged out centre section. But overall a decent movie where Denzel does what he does even if it is all a bit overlong.
Posted 09:32 | Mon 28th Jan 2013 -
DoubleLetter
I thought this was terrible. Contrived characters and plot. Unlikeable characters. Absolutely mind-numbingly boring middle. Denzel plays yet the same character again (possibly the most over-rated acter of our time - same delivery of lines no matter what character he plays). Avoid this - If your interested, wait till the DVD/Netflix...
Posted 20:54 | Tue 29th Jan 2013 -
FilmBuff76
I really liked this film - the first act is gripping and the remaining two acts are all about a man's acceptance of his alcoholism. It's a strong character-driven story and is a welcome return to live action for Robert Zemeckis.
Posted 14:18 | Sat 2nd Feb 2013 -
Twilightlover60006000
It says 12a on this website, so I brought my wife and 12 year old daughter, needless to say it was 15a and we had to leave after the first few scenes of tits and vaginas and porn references and drug taking. So whoever is responsible for this error please cop on and do your job properly.
Posted 15:36 | Mon 4th Feb 2013 -
DoubleLetter
^ It has the IFCO rating shown before the film starts in every cinema, it's legally obliged, so you would of seen that before the film? Also, at 12 (and being with her parents), she is legally allowed watch a 15a. YOU are her parent, therefore the onus is YOU to research the background to films YOU are bringing her to. Enough of this blame culture.
Posted 16:40 | Mon 4th Feb 2013 -
Linda
Thought this was a little dragged out but well worth the watch
Posted 17:06 | Mon 4th Feb 2013 -
di_lark
After the crash scene a depressing roll downhill but Denzels acting ameliorates & I agree with Linda
Posted 10:53 | Tue 5th Feb 2013 -
Helene
First part of movie is great , then it gets a bit slow, but Denzel is great in it. Doubleletter: no need to be so harsh!
Posted 14:04 | Thu 7th Feb 2013 -
DoubleLetter
Sorry if I was harsh, but I have worked in a cinema and let me tell you, it gets so irritating with parents giving out about a scene in a movie to the staff. They're the parents.
Posted 19:02 | Thu 7th Feb 2013 -
Twilightlover60006000
Parents don't have the ability to see into the future doubleletter, you see they don't know what is going to happen in the film, this is the beauty of a movie , not known what happens next. I'd say you got fired for being too well educated.It is so nice to hear such "common sense".
Posted 19:43 | Thu 7th Feb 2013 -
sr
About time a real movie for adults came to our screens. Brilliantly put together and patiently laid out for true lovers of film. Has all the ingredients I need to give it a 10/10. DW is perfect for this character, nothing really new from him, but perfectly casted in this role. Faultless in my opinion.
Posted 15:22 | Fri 8th Feb 2013 -
pandabat
Shockingly awful movie to sit through. Boring, contrived, pointless. Just watch the plane crash (which is admittedly brilliant) and turn it off. You've seen the best part!
Posted 16:52 | Mon 18th Feb 2013
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