For the last number of years various reports of pilots drink flying have made headlines and column inches. You’d think such source material would never really make for a movie, let alone a good one. After a November departure Stateside, Flight finally lands (this is gonna be full of airline puns) on this side of the pond.
Starring Denzel Washington as captain Whip Whitaker, Flight tells the story of an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing and is instantly transformed into a hero. In the subsequent investigation it turns out our hero pilot had some booze in his system. Combined with a hot shot lawyer (Don Cheadle) Whitaker tackles not only his alcohol and drug problem but also a bunch of investigators who are intent on finding out the truth.
Is there anything Denzel Washington can’t do? The moment he’s kitted out in his pilot’s uniform he is a pilot. Utterly convincing. I know nothing about flying (except for a few bouts with MS Flight Sim about a hundred years ago) but to me he’s pressing all the right buttons in the cockpit. And what he does to save the flight (which is teased in the trailers) is nothing short of incredible. But the real performance here lies within his drug and alcohol addictions.
As the movie progresses and he realises he could be facing a pretty hefty spell in jail, his drinking gets worse and he slumps into deeper and darker places. It really is a mesmerising performance. Especially when you consider his blood alcohol level when he got into the cockpit. And even though the crash wasn’t his fault, his attitude was one of arrogance and ignorance when it came to his drinking. You should hate this guy. Out and out scumbag. But Washington’s performance is so good here, you can’t help but like the guy. And no matter how many times the evidence stacks up against him along with funerals, more drinks and drugs, you still are rooting for the guy to get off. You will feel guilty!! Which is not something you experience very often watching a movie.
To project this into a cinematic audience is nothing but masterful film making from Robert Zemeckis. It’s not only Washington who shines here, Don Cheadle also flies high as the hot shot lawyer and John Goodman steals every single scene he’s in, as Whitakers drug dealer. While Nadine Velazquez’s performance is good as the slightly predictable love interest adds nothing to the movie and only drags it down a bit. That said, it is forgivable.
Zemeckis has crafted something brilliant here. Visually, Flight is turbulence free and does what it should. After all this is a drama, so you’re not going to be expecting too many bells and whistles. But the actual plane crash / landing is breath taking and utterly cluster phobic at times. With tight camera angles and constant panic and chatter in the sound mix, it’s (here comes a cliché) like being there. Time really flies (sorry…enough of the puns) here as the pacing is rock solid and the subsequent post crash dramatics flow from one to the other quite breezily.
This is Washington’s movie. His performance is worthy of your hard earned cash alone and it will provoke a rare reaction in audiences…and that’s guilt. Flight is a highly entertaining film and is must see. Go see it before the gate closes! (Sorry)