Welcome back Zemeckis!

Rating: 9/10 (2 November 2012)

It's been ten years since Robert Zemeckis made a live-action film, and it's good to have him back! Along with a brilliant performance from Denzel Washington, "Flight" is a departure from the director's sugarcoated sentimentality in films like "Forrest Gump," and is an arresting morality tale that explores faith in the darkest corners of the human soul.
Denzel's character Whip Whitaker is an alcoholic airline pilot who miraculously saves a doomed airplane from crashing. While initially hailed as a hero, there's more to be revealed as Whip's personal demons may or may not be responsible for the catastrophe.
Zemeckis goes for a polished yet subdued approach and places the weight of the film on Washington -- who proves why he's one the greatest living actors today. His nuanced performance channels the intensity of Sidney Poitier and the haunting madness of Nic Cage in "Leaving Las Vegas." He's very much an anti-hero, and his choices generate the suspense that leaves the audience guessing.
What "Jaws" did for the water is what "Flight" will do for flying -- and while the crash is a horrifying visual spectacle in itself, the two-punch combo of Washington's performance and Zemeckis' balanced direction keeps this film exciting, awe-inspiring, and a sure thing for awards season.