Excellent film

Rating: 8/10 (11 March 2013)

Anyone who's struggled with an addiction will find a lot to like about this film, and Washington's performance in it.
There are two other things that stand out. The first is the soundtrack. I've always thought an exceptional soundtrack can lift a very good film into something that resonates much more deeply. Flight has one of those soundtracks. Second, there is some gratuitous nudity. I'm not sure what the point is. The only explanation I could come up with is that it illustrates Whip's hedonistic lifestyle. The problem is I'm so distracted by the nudity that I'm not connecting it to Whip at all - I totally forget Washington is even in the scene.
Roger Ebert suggested this movie could have had a better finishing line: "I'm an alcoholic". I disagree. I think the reason for Whip's thoughtful smile was that while he now understood he was an alcoholic, he also knew it alone didn't define him. He still had time to explore the other aspects of his personality that had long been buried by his addiction. Anyone who's been addicted to something in their life will know exactly what Whip's smile means and why it's so special.