A solid examination of alcoholism.

Rating: 7/10 (30 January 2013)

After the opening scene in which pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) wakes up with a monster hangover yet drinks some more alcohol, smokes some weed and does a line of cocaine, it's clear the trailer for Flight was massively misleading. This is not a light-hearted movie with elements of mystery, trademark Denzel coolness or a hint of darkness; this is an intense drama about alcoholism that cuts deep at every turn. The plane crash isn't the focus here, it's merely an extraordinary situation which serves to push Whip's condition to the fore, allowing an examination of the addiction that can inflict itself even on people in positions of great importance. There's no doubting the nobility in attacking such a serious topic, but there's elements that don't work: Kelly Reilly's heroin addict doesn't convince, Don Cheadle is criminally underused as Whip's lawyer and the ending is, if not necessarily the easy route, definitely gift-wrapped a little too neatly. With a solid turn from Washington, a thankful resistance from director Robert Zemeckis to get melodramatic and a terrific soundtrack, Flight manages to stay on track about a man who goes way off it.