Flight
2/4
Starring: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, Tamara Tunie, Brian Geraghty
Rated R for Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Language, Sexuality/Nudity, and an Intense Action Sequence
When we first meet Captain Whip Whittaker, he's passed out on a bed after what appears to be one hell of a bender. He woke up next to a beautiful (and naked) woman in his bed, so it must have been a good night. He finishes his beer, does a little coke, and he's off to work. His job happens to be an piloting a commercial airliner.
"Flight," as everyone now knows, is not about a plane crash, but about addiction. Unfortunately, despite the promising cast and the presence of respected directer Robert Zemeckis behind the camera, the film is a bore. The characters are strictly two-dimensional at best, the acting is surprisingly flat, and the direction is sloppy. Worst of all, the film offers no new insights into addiction, even though there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Rather than be a compelling film like "Traffic" or to a lesser extent, "Requiem for a Dream," "Flight" ends up being more like "When a Man Loves a Woman."
Whip (Washington) is a drunk. He knows it, but he believes he is in control of his drinking, or that he like being a drunk (depending on the situation). But as everyone knows, that's always the drunk's excuse. The morning after he got loaded and drank and snorted before takeoff, the plane suddenly goes into freefall. Due to a daring and next to impossible maneuver, Whip manages to save the lives of all but six of the passengers. Initially he's regarded as a hero. That is until his freedom is in danger when it was discovered that he had alcohol in his system.
Denzel Washington is an amazing actor. Time and time again, Washington has delivered powerhouse performances, sometimes even in weak movies ("Safe House," for example). He has made an indeliable mark on cinema. But here, Washington is going through the motions. He doesn't seem to be invested in the film, and as a result, Whip isn't sympathetic or interesting. The script by John Gatins, which has been floating around Hollywood for years, is shallow and anemic, but that doesn't give Washington a free pass. The best actors use their talent to fill in the blanks as best they can. Washington merely coasts by on his charisma (which as has been demonstrated before, is considerable). Washington is surrounded by a solid supporting cast, but no one is given much to work with. The only ones who distinguish themselves are Kelly Reilly as a fellow addict and James Badge Dale as a cancer patient (who only appears for one scene and has nothing to do).
Robert Zemeckis' films have always been manipulative (movies almost always are by their nature). It's just that he's really good at it. Look at "Forrest Gump." In lesser hands that movie could have been a melodrama so sappy it could have been laughable. But in Zemeckis' hands it turned out to be a really good movie. Here, he's lost his touch. Zemeckis hasn't made a truly good movie since "Contact," and that was 15 years ago. "Flight" is not a return to form. He tries so hard to get the audience to feel for Whip that the results are sometimes unintentionally funny (the scene where he tries to get his co-pilot (Geraghty) to lie for him about his inebriated state is a case in point). The only noteworthy element in this film is the cinematography, which is at times beautiful, and the crash scene, which is pretty intense (although one would expect nothing less from Zemeckis, who is always pushing special effects to the limit).
There are so many other, better movies that deal with addiction in a more honest and affecting manner (like "Once Were Warriors" to name one) that there is really no need to waste two hours of your life with "Flight."
Starring: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, Tamara Tunie, Brian Geraghty
Rated R for Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Language, Sexuality/Nudity, and an Intense Action Sequence
When we first meet Captain Whip Whittaker, he's passed out on a bed after what appears to be one hell of a bender. He woke up next to a beautiful (and naked) woman in his bed, so it must have been a good night. He finishes his beer, does a little coke, and he's off to work. His job happens to be an piloting a commercial airliner.
"Flight," as everyone now knows, is not about a plane crash, but about addiction. Unfortunately, despite the promising cast and the presence of respected directer Robert Zemeckis behind the camera, the film is a bore. The characters are strictly two-dimensional at best, the acting is surprisingly flat, and the direction is sloppy. Worst of all, the film offers no new insights into addiction, even though there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Rather than be a compelling film like "Traffic" or to a lesser extent, "Requiem for a Dream," "Flight" ends up being more like "When a Man Loves a Woman."
Whip (Washington) is a drunk. He knows it, but he believes he is in control of his drinking, or that he like being a drunk (depending on the situation). But as everyone knows, that's always the drunk's excuse. The morning after he got loaded and drank and snorted before takeoff, the plane suddenly goes into freefall. Due to a daring and next to impossible maneuver, Whip manages to save the lives of all but six of the passengers. Initially he's regarded as a hero. That is until his freedom is in danger when it was discovered that he had alcohol in his system.
Denzel Washington is an amazing actor. Time and time again, Washington has delivered powerhouse performances, sometimes even in weak movies ("Safe House," for example). He has made an indeliable mark on cinema. But here, Washington is going through the motions. He doesn't seem to be invested in the film, and as a result, Whip isn't sympathetic or interesting. The script by John Gatins, which has been floating around Hollywood for years, is shallow and anemic, but that doesn't give Washington a free pass. The best actors use their talent to fill in the blanks as best they can. Washington merely coasts by on his charisma (which as has been demonstrated before, is considerable). Washington is surrounded by a solid supporting cast, but no one is given much to work with. The only ones who distinguish themselves are Kelly Reilly as a fellow addict and James Badge Dale as a cancer patient (who only appears for one scene and has nothing to do).
Robert Zemeckis' films have always been manipulative (movies almost always are by their nature). It's just that he's really good at it. Look at "Forrest Gump." In lesser hands that movie could have been a melodrama so sappy it could have been laughable. But in Zemeckis' hands it turned out to be a really good movie. Here, he's lost his touch. Zemeckis hasn't made a truly good movie since "Contact," and that was 15 years ago. "Flight" is not a return to form. He tries so hard to get the audience to feel for Whip that the results are sometimes unintentionally funny (the scene where he tries to get his co-pilot (Geraghty) to lie for him about his inebriated state is a case in point). The only noteworthy element in this film is the cinematography, which is at times beautiful, and the crash scene, which is pretty intense (although one would expect nothing less from Zemeckis, who is always pushing special effects to the limit).
There are so many other, better movies that deal with addiction in a more honest and affecting manner (like "Once Were Warriors" to name one) that there is really no need to waste two hours of your life with "Flight."
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