Wick's Review

Summary - Great 4.0

Flight is a heavily Hollywoodized Great American Movie, with a superstar anchoring a tall tale that apes an American triumvirate of powerful popular experiences. Denzel Washington’s Whip Whitaker echoes Sully Sullenberger; the crash site of Whip’s plane resembles 9/11’s Shanksville field; and the phenomena of the modern insta-celebrity who wilts in the limelight is the crucible in which it all plays out.

It’s also perhaps the most powerful movie about a hardcore alcoholic ever committed to the silver screen. The producers needed a powerful star to play the super-high-functioning alcoholic — Denzel Washington.

Denzel’s character operates at übermenchian levels while sporting a .24 BAL, proving it’s only a movie. Anyone that hugely drunk couldn’t walk straish led alone comment an airleaner, or something like that.

Director Robert Zemeckis steers this expensive craft with the touch of a master, never more so than during the ultimate white-knuckle airliner scene that is its centerpiece. A benchmark in cinematic action, the stupefying crash sequence does however disqualify Flight from ever appearing on the small screens above real airline passengers. On a related note, those scared to fly even a bit should give Flight a wide berth.

Acting - Great 4.0

Denzel Washington occupies a level of moviestardom so exalted that it’s hardly remarkable for him to carry a huge movie like Flight. But carry it he does, notwithstanding being surrounded by a large cast of accomplished and charismatic players, several of whom participate in a milestone movie action scene.

Denzel’s dashing pilot is also a study in advanced alcoholism. While his extreme functionality when seriously impaired stretches credulity, his bravado about lying and his eventual honesty after reaching rock bottom are likely to find appreciative audiences among alcoholics and their loved ones alike.

Now to that large cast of accomplished and charismatic players:

• Nadine Velazquez opens the movie in ultra-sexy style, parading around a hotel room in the nude. Shortly thereafter she sashays up an airliner aisle, later acquitting herself heroically during the crash. Hot and capable are two qualities that suggest this actress has lots of upside to her career.
• Tamara Tunie has one of the most likable demeanors of any actress working today, as fans of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit well know. Thus she’s a welcome sight as the lead flight attendant.
• Same with Bruce Greenwood. He oozes likability and capability.
• John Goodman has a classic Goodman role, one of the more entertaining ones of recent vintage. “Don’t touch the merch!”
• Kelly Reilly impresses as a junky trying to stay clean, with the arc of her performance powerfully showing the impact of heroin. This accomplished actress has a range from comedy, as in Robert Downey, Jr’s Sherlock Holmes series, to pathos here.
• James Badge Dale turns in a wryly funny scene as a late-stage cancer patient whose get-up-and-go hasn’t yet got-up-and-went.
• Don Cheadle is smoothly understated as a big time criminal lawyer. Natch.
• Melissa Leo underwhelms in a single high-stakes scene as a federal mucky-muck.
• Brian Geraghty is straight from central casting as a white bread pilot.

Film - Very Good 3.5

The epic crash scene goes on and on in seeming real-time, a new benchmark for aircraft disaster films. The trailer reveals that the plane ends up flying inverted – upside down. Never mind that this isn’t a surprise. It’s still stunning.

As with everything notable these days, the crash gets replayed time and again from the vantage point of TV news, phone cameras and black box recorders, allowing for additional plot elements to emerge. Well done.

Edge - Sordid 2.7

Two disturbing acts make Flight especially edgy. The more obvious one is the viscerally realized plane crash, even though the trailer makes it clear that the movie is a story of survival.

The other is hardcore substance abuse in action: toxically heavy drinking, major cocaine snorting, even shooting-up heroin. While these are shown as part of an ultimately cautionary tale, many are presented in a romantic and even humorous light. Impressionable minds will be confused, guaranteed.

That said, the sick allure of heroin is brought vividly to life in Flight, as is the toll it takes. Bravo that. Similar with booze, especially as Denzel’s highly-functional alcoholic declaims about how his lying enables his drinking. Bravo that too.

Reality - Surreal 2.6

Seriously Surreal: Where to start? How about with the likelihood that the poison-diet consumed by Denzel’s character would have ruined him long ago.

• It doesn’t take a toxicology expert to realize that a 50ish man couldn’t maintain his health and his performance while drinking half a gallon of booze a day, then using cocaine to counteract alcohol’s sedation properties. His heart wouldn’t stand for it, nor would the sexual prowess he demonstrated with a hot stewardess, nor would his mental acuity or reaction time. Hard core alcoholics function much better when drunk than we lucky souls who don’t share their affliction, but no real human functions this well after consistently poisoning his body so heavily for so many decades.
• Next up is the crash sequence. Could an MD-80 be flown this way in the event of catastrophic equipment failure? No. For a longer answer, consult Popular Mechanics’ Fact Vs. Fiction: Rolling an Airliner article.
• Finally, the movie’s time compression was pronounced, with the days following the accident almost certainly requiring weeks of real time. Whoops.

4 Comments

• Wick Dec 2, 2012 3:19PM

  Regarding BrianSez’s Review
  Solid review Bri. The movie was misleadingly sold, from the title on down. Could’ve called it Drunk just as easily.

• Wick Nov 14, 2012 8:55PM

  Regarding Wick’s Review
  Saw Bond the day after Flight. Working on the review now.

• BrianSez Nov 14, 2012 8:00AM

  Regarding Wick’s Review
  Oh wait, never mind, it doesn’t start until tomorrow!

• BrianSez Nov 14, 2012 7:59AM

  Regarding Wick’s Review
  I’m looking forward to this, but I’m surprised you didn’t tee-up Bond first!

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