Alive, Con Air, Fearless, The Gray, even Robert Zemeckis’ own Cast Away 12 years prior – all include horrific plane crashes as an integral component of their plot. But I will offer that Flight incorporates a disaster that ranks with the best ever filmed. I don’t have a fear of flying but this extracted long suppressed misgivings about flying I didn’t even know existed. The first 30 minutes are some of the most on the edge of your seat, horror I’ve seen all year. A description could never do the scene justice. Let’s just say, this drama will never make the in-flight entertainment on any aircraft.
A skillful pilot must make an emergency landing after technical problems arise. Flight takes an ordinary subject and crafts an extraordinary movie. This is due in no small part to Denzel Washington’s nearly flawless portrayal of seasoned airline pilot Whip Whitaker, the central character at the heart of Flight. Is he a hero? Is he a heel? After watching the film, it will prompt discussions on the very nature of a hero. Its examination of ethics pushes Flight into the stratosphere of moral dilemma dramas. You will cheer Whip’s intuitive reaction in a crisis, then chastise his abominable behavior. That Flight represents one of Denzel Washington’s greatest performances is a terrific accomplishment for an actor with such a lengthy filmography.
At heart, the story is essentially a drama about alcoholism. While that problem may seem clichéd, even passé in these modern times, screenwriter John Gatins manages to make the issue compelling again. Can this really be the same screenwriter who penned Real Steel? His previous efforts could have never prepared me for a handling with such maturity and depth. Obviously alcoholism is wrong, but the narrative takes a much more nuanced view of the affliction, as well as drug abuse he also suffers from. The brilliance lies in its ability to make you feel the full range of emotion from admiration to loathing towards the main character. He isn’t purely good or bad. People are much more complicated than that. The script tackles the responsibility with the nuance of real life. The concept is uncomplicated, but the emotions are complex.
The supporting cast is equally good at highlighting his moral predicaments: Kelly Reilly as a fellow addict he meets at the hospital, Don Cheadle as his whip smart defense lawyer, John Goodman, his drug supplier, Tamara Tunie as the head flight attendant, Brian Geraghty, his callow young co-pilot, and Melissa Leo as lead NTSB investigator. Each role exists to highlight qualities in Denzel Washington’s character, but they each individually exhibit memorable work here. There are some nagging questions the writing doesn’t address. For example, why introduce his ex-wife and son as characters, but not delve into any details regarding their intense hatred for him? Why flight attendants would knowingly board a plane of a known drunk is also a nagging question. But for every missed opportunity, there are many more moments of insight along the way.
Flight is an incredibly engrossing movie. It’s astounding just on how many levels Flight succeeds as superior entertainment. It thoughtfully combines some heart pounding set pieces with introspective drama. Robert Zemeckis hasn’t made a live action film since Cast Away in 2000. It’s great to have him back making thought-provoking movies for an older audience. The drama is refreshingly elemental. Denzel Washington extracts an impressive performance from this script to give his greatest acting achievement following Training Day. Like that role, he plays against the hero type. The way he shifts personality is masterful, blending someone to be admired vs. someone to be pitied. In this day and age where everything must be amped up to extreme intensities of excitement, Flight thankfully realizes when to pull back and simply present a mature drama. Sometimes one man’s personal journey is enough.
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