A Superb Character Study

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2012)

Chances are you will not see this film as your in-flight movie the next time you fly the friendly skies. And for good reason, too. The opening sequence includes perhaps the most hair-raising plane crash scene ever, so spectacular that even if you know what to expect, that won't prevent you from crushing your popcorn box from the tension of it. This scene alone is worth the price of admission.
At the wheel of the stricken jet is Captain William "Whip" Whitaker (Denzel Washington) who pulls off a landing only less miraculous than the real life exploit of Chesley Sullenberger who landed his own craft in the Hudson River in 2009, losing not a soul aboard. There is one major difference however. Whitaker is both drunk and stoned when he is piloting the craft although his condition is not the reason the airliner malfunctions.
It is the twin truth, acknowledged by all involved (including the viewer,) that Whitaker is both a self-centered alcoholic AND the only pilot with the chops that could have saved the 96 passengers on Flight 227. However, six others perished, including a crew member with whom he was having a fling with, and so the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is called in to investigate.
Despite his heroics, Whitaker is under suspicion for the high level of alcohol found in his system and the two empty vodka bottles retrieved from the airliner's trash compartment. It having been a non-beverage service flight, only the crew is suspect although we had seen Whip empty them into an orange juice container right before the airplane lost control.
As Whitaker waits for the NTSB hearing that will either clear his name or place him in prison for manslaughter, the audience is torn between sympathy and revulsion. Sympathy because he did indeed save the plane and revulsion because he is a classic addict, living a life encumbered by lies and excuses.
What transpires at the hearing and the night before is the watershed moment of both the movie and the life of Whip Whitaker. The subsequent ending, based on what transpires, contains an ambiguity that is both justified and satisfying.
Washington is flawless here, his acting abilities never put to better use. He is ably aided by John Goodman (as a jolly scenery-stealing drug pusher), Don Cheadle as his hard-pressed lawyer and a sweet turn by Kelly Reilly as the waif-like heroin addict who is Whitaker's moral conscience. Melissa Leo appears at the conclusion in a somewhat muted role as the main NTSB investigator.
In conclusion, there are many movies out this holiday season. "Flight" is worth the hype as long as you aren't about to board an airliner to spend Christmas with your far-off relatives.