Another fantastic performance by Denzel Washington

Rating: 7/10 (16 November 2012)

Denzel Washington has a knack for selecting roles of on-screen personalities that possess serious character faults, flaws, and deflects. Whether it's Detective Alonzo Harris from "Training Day" or Frank Lucas from "American Gangster" or even Tobin Frost from "Safe House" it is usually very difficult for the audience to ever fully embrace the actions that his characters are engaged. Whip Whitaker from "Flight" is no exception.
Whip Whitaker (Washington) is a phenomenal pilot, highly decorated veteran with thousands of flight hours logged; however, Whip Whitaker is also a drug addicted, cocaine snorting, over-indulgent, uncontrollable, yet "somewhat" functioning alcoholic. After a night of drunken debauchery, Whitaker is scheduled to pilot a routine channel flight to Atlanta. A structural integrity mishap with the plane's tail flap (elevator) causes the plane into a free-falling nose dive, and impending disaster. If not for the exceptional piloting skills of Whip WhitakerÂ… the plane, the crew, and the 102 passengers would have all perished. Whitaker was able to successfully crash land the plane in an open field, but not without fatalities. So is Captain Whip Whitaker a hero, or the scapegoat?
In the approximately 105 minutes that follow the accident, we (the audience) are introduced into the world of Whip Whitaker. This is not the glamorous world of the aviation pilot, but rather, the seedy world of the abusive alcoholic. Whitaker is helpless to his addiction, and even though he has been warned of pending prosecution and life imprisonment if he is found guilty of pilot negligenceÂ… Whitaker is powerless to the monkey on his back. It is actually quite painful to watch this character spiral out of control; while a credit the Denzel Washington's acting ability to loathe and detest this character so much. In the events with lead up to the film's climax, I was absolutely flabbergasted as I watched (and knew) what was about to happen as Whip Whitaker (and his inability to maintain self-control) was lured into temptation. Again the disgust and resentment that you have towards this character is a testament to Washington's incredible talent.
I do recommend seeing this film; however, it's serious in nature and has very dark overtones. Another terrific performance by actor Denzel Washington, worthy of another Best Actor Nomination; however, I believe that trophy will be going to Daniel Day Lewis for his role as "Lincoln" this year, which I cannot wait to see.
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