A story of two flights

Rating: 9/10 (3 November 2012)

As a kid, I've always been interested in planes, big and small. I later discovered a truly fascinating series called "Air Crash Investigation" and have watched almost every episode there is. So when I caught the trailer for this film few months ago and also noticed Denzel Washington was involved, I was instantly hooked!
This film is a tale of two flights: the first is there for everyone to see. A take-off in thunder and lightning which soon descends into mid-air chaos, then certain disaster only to be mitigated by the heroic, if unusual, actions of the Pilot-in-Command, Capt. William "Whip" Whitaker (Denzel Washington). In an inspired move (a clear nod to the doomed Alaska Airlines Flight 261), he decides to fly upside down to overcome a steep nosedive and completes a landing which is nothing short of miraculous. Capt. Whitaker is regarding a public hero, on the verge of a certain recognition from his pilots association, and apart from the crushing loss of his coworker-mistress, Flt. Attendant Marquez, is in good shape. Until things take an ugly turn and the second flight takes off.
A broken marriage with a past history of liquor abuse has left Whitaker a chronic alcohol and drug addict. Routine procedures following the immediate investigation into the accident have revealed higher than permissible BAO levels, which his attorney Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle) and rep Charlie (Bruce Greenwood) are confident can be overturned. However, Whitaker's guilty conscience prompts him into making repetitive arrogant claims ("No one else could have landed that plane!"). One such outburst causes a bad rift between him, Charlie and Lang, with a formal hearing only days away. Consorting with a hippie (Kelly Reilly), Whitaker tries to find some purpose but with the demons fast closing in, his crew caught in the crossroads of whether to support their savior or bring the truth to life, Whitaker's life nearly derails when he's thrown out by his ex-wife and son. Left with nowhere to go, he seeks asylum at Charlie's. The day before the hearing, his addiction gets the better of him, but somehow, he manages to "breathe" his way to sobriety and walks in.
The hearing is faithful to reality and hard-hitting. Melissa Leo shines in a great cameo as an investigator with pointed and charged questions. What follows is not entirely surprising, but the exchange between an investigator who is out to seek the truth and a pilot with a dark secret is not unlike many courtroom dramas we have seen before.
The story is pretty unique and decently authentic. The crash scene is superbly shot (couple of scenes inside the plane are not for the fainthearted!). The supporting cast do their job but it is Washington who "flies" this engrossing film with high-class acting. Not every seasoned actor can pull off a conflicted professional but so good is he that you see the pilot, not the actor when he dons that slick blazer with the shades and sticks that smirk on his face. His is a performance worthy of several award nominations. Maybe his third Oscar, who knows! If you are a Washington fan, do not miss this Flight!