In the opening sequence we meet Captain 'Whip' Whitaker (Denzel Washington), a fellow whom we quickly discover is not your atypical film hero. We open to find Whip in a hotel room with a nude woman and several half-empty liquor bottles strewn about. His phone rings, he answers, has a relatively uncomfortable conversation with his ex-wife and then, bleary-eyed and half-drunk, proceeds to the airport where the movie really takes off (both literally *and* figuratively).
Part of what makes Whitaker such a compelling character is the fact that, at times, he is downright despicable. He's impossible to root for, yet Denzel plays him with enough longing and depth that you can't help but feel for him on some level. Part of you hates him, but you can't look away. And while the opening sequence demonstrates that even though he's a damaged human being, he is an *incredible* pilot. He's simultaneously a hero and a cad. Throughout the film, a classic rock soundtrack (featuring several Rolling Stones songs) harkens back to the 60s and 70s - a time when pilots were rock stars. This is fitting with the way that Whitaker sees himself. He's brash and egotistical (he'll tell anyone who listens, "No one but me could have landed that plane!") and downright abrasive - a true anti-hero.
In addition to Denzel, director Robert Zemeckis has assembled a great cast featuring Don Cheadle (as Whitaker's lawyer) and John Goodman (who is continuing his recent renaissance as a supporting role-player, following his brilliant turn in Argo - as Whitaker's coke dealer). Though much will be made of the fact that Zemeckis hasn't dealt with 'live' actors in over a decade, he still gets quite a bit out of his cast - dramatic when they need to be, wrenching when they can be and even darkly comedic when the opportunities arise.
And speaking of Zemeckis, his first live action film since Cast Away suffers from some mild pacing issues (the middle third of the film runs on a little too long - yes, we get it. Whitaker is a drunk.) but the high points definitely outweigh the lows. Specifically, the scene featuring the crash is quite simply the most terrifying on-screen representation of a plane crashing that I've ever seen. Forget about the pilot of Lost - this will make you never want to board a 747 again. Throughout the film, the use of classic rock (specifically the Rolling Stones) harkens back to the 70s - an era when
A review of this film would be incomplete if it didn't touch on the somewhat-hamfisted (in my opinion, anyway) denouement. I'll remain as spoiler-free as I can, but let's just say that the end of the film doesn't quite fit with how I perceived Whitaker's character. I understand *why* it ended the way it did, I totally get the motivation, I just don't know if I 'felt' it. It just struck me as rather abrupt, mainly - the entire film had been running one way and then they make a sharp turn. It felt like the ending was forced.
Despite the turbulence in its final act, Flight is a daring, dramatic character-study that still manages to soar at times, and will likely earn Denzel Washington another Best Actor nomination.
Geek Score:
What I'm Playing: Borderlands 2 for PC, Dishonored for XBox
What I'm Reading: Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
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