Flight

Denzel Washington throws his hat in the ring for the title of Best Actor in this year's Oscar race. He plays William "Whip" Whitaker, a commercial airline pilot with a nasty drinking problem. He executes a miraculous crash landing, saving nearly everyone on board, but the subsequent investigation finds him doing more soul-searching than he bargains for.

The story is less about Whip's heroic tale as it is about his dark demons, and the emotionally manipulative setup that makes the audience feel morally claustrophobic, needing to choose between drunken hero, or ethically-challenged villain. It's really compelling on paper, and has brilliant snippets in the previews, making it seem almost Best Picture-worthy. Almost.

The film unfolds much too quickly, with a 16-minute crash sequence within the first 25 minutes of the movie. It's too much, too fast. Let me say however, that the 16 minute sequence is absolutely enthralling. Edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting tension that is masterfully crafted by Robert Zemeckis, and brilliantly portrayed by the veteran Denzel Washington.

Once the opening sequence is over, the film stalls much like the plane gliding gently to its resting place on the ground, after performing a jaw-dropping roll that is stabilized by none other than Mr. Washington. Denzel is simply amazing. I envisioned a variety of other actors in the role, and it is true, many could have done it, but there is something about Denzel in his pilot's uniform that seals the deal. It was a great choice, and there were times that he was so convincing as the drunk, that I could almost smell the booze on his breath. Unfortunately, his character just wasn't very likeable, and his prideful denial of his problem tortured the story until the very end.

It's been nearly 20 years since Zemeckis won the Best Director statue for Forrest Gump, and this film was definitely his best since Cast Away in 2000. I couldn't help thinking that it was trying to be too many things at once though, and consequently disappointed in all of them. The story isn't about the crash, or the heroic anecdote. It isn't about the resolution of the investigation, or the investigators. It isn't about the victims, or about the perils of flying commercially. No, it's about alcoholism. A seemingly subtle tribute to Leaving Las Vegas. A clear Oscar hopeful that just goes too far with this theme and doesn't satisfy the promise made in the preview in the process.

The writer, John Gatins, who is a veteran of underdog feel-good stories, goes way out of his comfort zone here and finds himself in unfamiliar territory. After seeing the film, a conversation with friends brought up half a dozen ideas that would have provided a more satisfying conclusion. It's unfortunate that such a ripe tale was wasted by a lack of creative writing.

The supporting cast is just alright. Bruce Greenwood is the friendly face, playing the pilot's union rep who walks with Whip after the incident, and Don Cheadle goes through the motions as the unscrupulous lawyer who represents Whip. John Goodman overacts as the friendly neighborhood drug dealer, and the relatively unknown British actress Kelly Reilly conjures up an annoying southern accent to play the unnecessary drug addicted companion of Whip. I guess nobody was truly impressive save Washington. I was impressed to see James Badge Dale in a brief appearance as a cancer patient in the hospital, but this is primarily a one-man vehicle.

What would have given this film the little boost that it needed was if it held something back. 25 minutes into the film, you've seen the entire sequence of events unfold that lead to the crash. If there was something missing that we as an audience were to discover later, not even a twist, but a piece that adds suspense or changes the perception of the situation, then the end would have rivaled the beginning. There was a lot that Zemeckis and Gatins could have done, but they simply let the story unfold on the screen.

The film is worth seeing for the crash sequence, and Denzel's performance, but it's certainly not a feel-good story, or even a morality tale. And there is frankly quite a bit of disappointment in how it all plays out. 7/10.