Flight

Starring: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, 

John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood

Director: Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away, Contact, Forrest Gump)

Producers: Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis
Writer: John Gatins (Real Steel, Coach Carter)

Music: Alan Silvestri (Back To The Future trilogy, Forest Gump, Cast Away)

Cinematography: Don Burgess (Forest Gump, Contact, 42)

Editor: Jeremiah O'Driscoll 

Genre: American Drama

Running Time: 139mins

Rated: R18+

Flight follows the life of airline captain William 'Whip' Whitaker after a turbulent take-off causes an already busted plane to malfunction in mid-air. Despite his intoxicated, cocaine-laced, under-slept condition, Whip is able to use past Military flight training to 'roll' the plane and glide it into an open field for a somewhat safe landing. Causing the deaths of only 4 passengers and 2 crew members out of 102 souls in the process. This ultimately makes Whip an instant hero, however, due to legalities of the crash, Whip is put under the microscope by various people in power and the truth about his alcoholism slowly seeps out into the public view for harsh judgement. Not fair but a necessary step for the evolution of Denzel's character. Which happens quite late in the film. Denzel portrays a very hopeless protagonist who just cannot seem to overcome his alcoholism. Although exceptionally acted (it's Denzel!), there were times where I felt disgust, pity and frustration for his character, Whip, and just wanted the guy to get it together. But then, I guess that what an alcoholic is. Don Cheadle did a great job as the frustrated yet hopeful attorney. As did the junkie-turned-AA love interest, Nicole, played by Kelly Reilly. Both very convincing. Another stand out performance was James Badge Dale who played the Cancer Patient. It was just a single scene that took place in the chance encounter of the hospital stairwell where Nicole and Whip meet for the first time, but the guy blew me away. Solid performance! John Goodman provides the comic relief for the film and again, is another strong player. The music depicted the tone of the film to a T, setting clear moods of light and shade in each scene. Editing was flawless and carried the flow of the story without disruption or long-windedness. Flight is an emotionally charged story that manages to hold tension and continually morph throughout. Nominated for various awards (Satellite, Golden Globe, Academy Awards), it is definitely a must-see for Drama Lovers! If you are a Denzel fan, you will enjoy his performance in this film. 

Happy Watching!!