Flight

            I really wanted to see Man With The Iron Fists this weekend.  I really did.  I love every single aspect of the film, from the director to the producer to the actors.  The plot looks solid and the film strikes me as a good time.

           

            On to the review!

            So anyways, I saw Flight this weekend, and it's nice to see Robert Zemeckis direct a movie that didn't involve the uncannyvalley.  For a man who was pretty damn awesome for so long (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cast Away) I feared his releases for the last decade or so (Beowulf, The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol).  That there are almost no special effects in Flight is awesome.

            I recently received some constructive criticism that I may be a bit too spoiler-heavy, so let me try to relate why you should watch Flight during this crowded film season without giving anything away.

            Denzel Washington is Whip Whitaker, a supremely confident yet troubled pilot.  The opening scene does everything in its power to drive home the fact that Whip is not a hero per se, merely a man who performs a heroic act.  As you've seen by the trailer, he kind of lands a passenger aircraft under duress, at one point even flying upside-down.

            What the trailer doesn't tell you is that his story intertwines with that of Nicole (Kelly Reilly).  They meet shortly after the crash, and discover that they both have some demons that may or may not need exorcising.

            Most of the film follows Whip as he tries to deal with life during the lead-up to a hearing held after the crash investigation.  One of the things I liked most about Flight is how realistic the plot was.  After a crash, everything needs to be investigated and a scapegoat needs to be found.  The union wants to blame the airline or the manufacturer, while neither the airline nor the parts manufacturers are willing to take blame either.  This cat-fighting really helps add to the overarching tension of the movie.

            In Whip's corner are his union-appointed attorney Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle), his union rep Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood)--who also served with Whip in the Navy--and Whip's lawyer, Harling Mays (John Goodman).  While everyone does a great job in their roles, Goodman once again delivers an outstanding, outsized performance despite limited screen time.  In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen Goodman in a movie--good or bad--where I didn't like his performance.  He's like a much larger Christopher Walken.

            While a bit on the long side at 138 minutes, Flight makes up for it by rewarding your patience with incredible acting everywhere you look.  At no point was I bored or restless, nor did it seem that anyone in the theater could tear their eyes off the screen for even a moment.  Hell, this is the first time I can remember where not a single person in front of me (and I always sit in the back) got up to use the restroom!

            I absolutely will not be surprised to see Denzel Washington nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, and I would not be disappointed to see him win it.  He plays such a morally ambiguous character to such perfection that you are constantly unsure if you should root for or against him. 

            It's good to see Zemeckis back and directing people who are just people, not CGI or motion capture.  He still has incredibly skills, and this story keeps you guessing until the final scene.  You may hate me for this, but I don't care: I say this is far better than Forrest Gump and almost as good as Cast Away.