A powerful performance

Rating: 8/10 (5 December 2012)

Every addict in recovery will tell of their 'moment of clarity', that defining moment when they truly realize their life is unmanageable. For Whip Whitaker (Denzel)it begins with a plane crash, which Whip manages expertly, averting great tragedy with minimal loss of life. This sequence is well crafted and harrowing. In it's aftermath he cleans up... for a while. He meets Nicole(Kelly Reilly)an addict trying to straighten up after overdosing. Fortunately this 'romance' doesn't interfere with the greater narrative as they often do. Whip is divorced and estranged from his teen son who is more angry that Whip is a horrible father than he is happy his dad's not dead. Whip is also facing legal troubles as his drunken state may put him in jail for the deaths of several passengers. When Whip finally takes responsibility and accountability, it is then he is heroic.
Both Zemeckis and Washington are subtle with their craft in this movie, which helps ground it. Without this steadiness it could have veered off into melodrama. It's easy to see why addicts are able to destroy so much. We want to excuse Whip's or any addict's behavior because we can, or want to, see the better person underneath the alcohol and drugs and hope that they'll see it too and change. But you cannot reason with the physical addiction and the psychological compulsion and until presented with a mirror powerful enough to let the addict see themselves, they will not change.