Flight

After toying around with performance capture for the past decade (The Polar Express, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol) Robert Zemeckis returns to live action films as his canvas of choice.  Zemeckis has demonstrated his versatility as a director, from action-packed blockbusters such as Back to the Future to immense character studies Forrest Gump, Cast Away, and now Flight.    

Flight follows William “Whip” Whitaker (Denzel Washington), an extremely gifted but substance abusing pilot. When the plane starts to malfunction on one of his flights he pulls off a spectacularly miraculous emergency landing.  However, his heroism attracts the attention of not only the media, but of the lawyers smelling alcohol on his breath.    

This film is undoubtedly Denzel Washington’s vehicle. From start to finish Washington delivers an incredibly nuanced and bruising performance of an addict in denial; taking the audience along on every up and down in his journey.  Washington holds brute intensity in his eyes; framing a body so battered and scarred that only alcohol can provide an appropriate anesthesia.  The layers to Whip’s character are so natural you almost can’t believe it’s acting.

While Denzel is the focus of this movie, there’s quality acting all around. John Goodman (Argo, The Big Lebowski) is delightful as always as Whip’s drug dealer and best friend, Don Cheadle (Iron Man 2, Ocean’s 11, Hotel Rwanda) is underutilized as the ace lawyer, and Kelly Reily (Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, Me and Orson Welles) sells her American accent and manages to keep up with Washington.
Unfortunately, the film climaxes about 30 minutes in.  The panic and turbulent anxiety of the crashing plane sequence is raw and gritty; a truly furious storm of film making.  This cut is such a  tour-de-force, that the rest of the film seems like the dust settling from the crash.  The narrative is disjointed and in some places and lags in others.  

However, the rather choppy screenplay is held together with Zemeckis’ technical proficiency, a painfully nostalgic soundtrack, and of course Denzel’s Oscar worthy performance.  It is these powerfully human aspects of the film that truly lets Flight soar to new heights.