Flight

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2012)

When, I first started seeing trailers for Flight, back in the summer, it looked like a much different movie then it actually turned out to be. I think Denzel Washington is a good actor, but over the years I have not gone to see him in much, simply because a lot of the films looked like loud action films where he displays none of his acting talent and is basically doing those type of films for a paycheck. I much preferred him in dramas such as Malcolm X, The Hurricane, or even American Gangster, from a few years ago. I am happy to say that while nowhere near a perfect movie, Flight is better than I thought it would be and Denzel, is able to show off his acting abilities in a film where there is no real action, or adventure, but rather a fairly well developed character study that deals with the issue of substance abuse and in this case, alcoholism. I found a lot of Flight, did work well. The acting from the whole ensemble cast was quite good and the performances seemed real and believable. The screenplay often as well seemed realistic and charted what I would imagine the ups and downs of an alcoholic would be without sentimentalizing it too much. At one point during the film, I was afraid it was going to go in a certain direction that to me would ruin the whole film and more, or less be an ending that would perhaps appeal to many, but to me would ruin pretty much everything the film had going for it, or was trying to say, but much to my surprise the film did not take that way out and I appreciated it for that. When, I think of powerful and realistically done films dealing with alcohol abuse, two films that come to mind are John Cassavetes' Opening Night and John Huston's Fat City. Both films included powerful performances and were not shy in showing the pain, struggle and heartache that alcohol, or basically any type of addiction could have on a person and also their work life, their performance and how it affects their health and the ones around them as well, whether it be co-workers, family, or friends. Those films were hard hitting and made not as pieces of entertainment, but rather as character studies were we walk away from seeing them having learned something and gone for quite a powerful ride feeling the tumultuous and often draining experience of what it would be like to be these characters, or even to watch them. I would have to say that Flight, does not have the same impact, or delivers in quite the same way. Yes, Denzel Washington is very good here and most likely he will be nominated for an Oscar for his performance, but at times I didn't always feel that Denzel was the right choice to play this character. Denzel, is a very popular actor and with a few exceptions like Training Day, we are mostly accustomed to him playing the roles of clean cut heroes who more, or less save the day in whatever type of situation the film he is in calls for. He is a little too famous, handsome and well known for this type of role and that is one of the reasons why it does not work. I remember back in my school days hearing the testimony of a man who lose almost all of his family due to drug addiction and he wanted to stress that people who are addicted to drugs did not look glamorous, or cool as they have been made to look in the movies. His example was John Travolta and Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction, and how while they did a lot of drugs in the film, they always had glamour and a certain style to them and I would have to agree with that remark. There are certain scenes in Flight, that are a little more gritty and feel a lot more realistic, but there are also scenes where sometimes things happen and it feels like they have been done that way to overemphasize things and make everything a lot more dramatic, whereas to me it felt forced and did not always work. Instead of an over 30 million budget, make a smaller film with lesser known actors and try to make it gritty and intense and not like a glamorous 30 million dollar Hollywood film. One other aspect of the film that I did not appreciate was how it seemed to portray Christians, or basically anyone religious in the film as fanatics and while the audience laughed at them, the film seemed to be as well. Truth is that if Denzel's character had paid even the slightest bit of attention to them, or what they were trying to say to him, he most likely would not have been in the situation he was in. Flight, works as an intriguing and entertaining story, but it is not as powerful, realistic, or as well acted, or researched as it could have been. Worth seeing as entertainment, but only offers minimal food for thought.