A Flat Drama Bookended By Great Moments!

Rating: Null/10 (7 October 2013)

Marking director Robert Zemeckis' return to live-acting filmmaking, presenting actor Denzel Washington in yet another impressive role to which he does complete justice, and working as an insightful meditation on addiction & the difficulties faced when trying to cope with it, Flight is bookended by high moments but everything between the two ends simply falls flat.
The story of Flight follows an airline pilot who, after crash-landing his malfunctioning plane in a miraculous manner & saving almost everyone on board, is hailed as a hero. But when further investigation into the matter reveals the possibility of him being intoxicated during the flight, he decides to sober up till his day in court, but soon finds out how hard it actually is to let go of an addiction.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Flight is his first live-action film since his 2000 feature, Cast Away, and exhibits no major loss in his form. Zemeckis showcases a firm grip on the visual elements of the story but the script is all over the place for instead of focusing on just one character this film is about, it tries to cram in events that have no reason to exist, as can be seen in the added romantic angle.
The technical aspects are finely executed but the story hits a rough patch in the middle with some slow-paced moments, some of which don't add much to the whole plot. Coming to the performances, Flight is a one man show that benefits greatly from Denzel Washington's outstanding input for the grounded finesse with which he portrays his character certainly makes this feature a character study worth sitting through.
On an overall scale, Flight began on an absolutely thrilling note but from there on, it heads in only one direction and while the climax is moving to an extent, it's a tedious road to get there. Nevertheless, the film works as an intriguing observation of a man struggling to cope with his addiction, is redeemed to an extent by a knockout performance from Washington, and while inclining more towards a disappointment as per my initial expectations, it does have its moments that may work out for you. Worth a shot.