Flight

My Grade:  A-

Denzel Washington is epic.  That’s all there is to it.  He has been nominated for 5 Oscars and has won two of them (Supporting Actor in Glory and Lead Actor in Training Day).  He has also rocked our cinematic world more recently in Man on Fire, Inside Man, American Gangster, and The Book of Eli.  My personal favorites of his roles are in Training Day, Remember the Titans, American Gangster, and John Q but he seriously outdoes himself in his most recent film, Flight, directed by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump).

While Washington is what will bring viewers to see Flight, the story will certainly help.  Penned by John Gatins (Coach Carter, Real Steel), this film takes an interesting approach to the hero story.  Whip (Denzel Washington) is an airline pilot that makes a miraculous crash landing saving most of the passengers on board a plane that “fell apart in midair.”  The problem with this, however, is that Whip is an addict.  He is definitely an alcoholic but dabbles in some more serious things like cocaine and other drugs.  He drank and snorted cocaine on the morning of his flight.  Was he in proper shape to fly the plane?  Can these federal offenses (think about how much worse that is than drunk driving) be overlooked because of his midair heroics?  Those are the questions Flight addresses in its overly long 138 minutes.

Its length is the only major problem I have with the film.  If it could keep up the intensity that it starts and ends with, then 138 minutes wouldn’t be a problem at all.  It sags in the middle, though.  Waking up after very little sleep in a room with a naked woman, tons of empty beer bottles, and a line of coke on your dresser ready for you to snort is not a way that you should wake up if you’re leaving on a 9am flight... especially if you’re the one flying it.  But, that opening scene (which is mostly one shot) lets us get to know Whip very well, very quickly.

Then, as the plane takes off, we know that it will eventually crash (since we’ve seen trailers).  You might think this would destroy any chance at building tension since we also know that Whip survives based on trailers and how the story couldn’t go on without him.  If you thought that, you would be wrong.  The crash scene is some of the most tense minutes I have ever seen in film.  It’s breathtaking.  And the special effects are wonderful.  It is as exciting (if not more so) than the shipwreck in James Cameron’s classic Titanic. 

After the crash, though, the narrative gradually slows to a tedious halt.  It’s hard to know for sure why it starts to feel so slow, but you certainly will be tempted to start checking your watch (not your cell phone because that should be turned off... right?).  As more and more complications for Whip’s case compound, though, the film starts to pick up steam, leading to a rather shocking twist near the end.

While Denzel Washington holds this film up with his tour-de-force performance (I hate using that over-used film critic term, but it’s true), the film also benefits from a strong performance from little-known Kelly Reilly as Whip’s indomitable love interest who helps make him a better person.  Flight also boasts a fine turn from John Goodman, bringing a much needed comedic presence as Whip’s drug dealing, fun-loving friend that is always there when you need a little cocaine to perk you up after you’ve had too much to drink.

Overall, Washington makes this film worth watching.  You have seen him in roles where he is good and even great, but he has never been better than he is in Flight.  It’s also an interesting look at a modern-day flawed hero and the redemption that he (and sometimes all of us) needs.  If it weren’t for the slow pacing in its tedious second act, then Flight would get an A+ from me... but it doesn’t.  Do expect to hear about Denzel when Oscar season comes around, though.