Flight (2012) - Denzel! Denzel! DENZEL!

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 2012)

"Flight" is the film that marks the long-awaited return of acclaimed director Robert Zemeckis, known as the man behind classics such as "Back to the Future", "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", and "Forrest Gump", making it his first live-action feature since "Cast Away" nearly 12 years ago, after becoming involved in some motion-capture work. "Flight" stars Denzel Washington as Whip, an alcoholic, and divorced jet airplane pilot who is forced to take dramatic matters in his own hands, after some mechanical failure occurred on the plane, sending it into a nose-dive. But, Whip was able to accomplish this great miracle, by rotating the plane upside-down while going for an emergency landing, to prevent the plane from crashing. Almost the entire majority of people on the plane survived, while a few died, but he is now looked as a hero to the public, praising him for his work. But, on the dark side, what the people might not know is that he's mostly a booze-loving alcoholic and a liar, who was separated from his family, living a rough life on drugs and booze, living a very dark life. But, that's when a certain investigation starts to happen. People were wondering many certain things: Was he feeling okay during the flight? Was there any alcohol involved? Was he drunk on the flight? What actually happened? If his toxicology report states it was true that he was drunk on the flight, considered responsible for the deaths of the 4 or 5 passengers, he'll be sentenced to a full life in prison. After a brilliantly filmed opening plane crash, the film then suddenly turns into a realistic life drama about this one man trying to quit this alcohol addiction, trying to fix different stages in his life, trying to put it back together, and trying to keep himself away from this problem he has. Do we have an Oscar contender, here? Denzel Washington is that rare actor that is always never taken for granted. It doesn't matter if a movie he's in is either bad or good, but he always deliver a perfect performance, no matter what. But, compared to his Oscar-winning work in "Glory" and "Training Day", "Flight" is no exception. This is one of the best, and one of the most challenging performances that Denzel has portrayed on screen. While doing a good job in holding in all his emotions, he perfectly portrays a real-life broken character that needs fixing in his life. It's an excellent, and jaw-dropping performance that will hopefully score him another Oscar nomination. John Goodman, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood, and Don Cheadle all nail their supporting roles in the cast ensemble. Goodman, especially, having one hell of a year, delivering one great performance after the next. Last seen as the real life John Chambers in the film "Argo", Goodman is even more funnier in this film playing Whip's partner-in-crime, providing Whip with certain things that will help him live through the moment. Although he only appears in three full scenes, without any development to his character, he still nails it in this movie. Kelly Reilly plays a drug addict who befriends Whip, as they help each other through their own life issues. Unlike the other characters in the supporting cast, Reilly's character isn't really fleshed out well, and I didn't think that her storyline felt quite finished, but she still provides good work to the material, though. Directing his first R-rated picture in over 30 years, Robert Zemeckis adds tons of unique charm and style to this 139-minute drama. His choice of soundtrack, the way he knows how to work with his actors, and most importantly, he knows how to take a harsh and realistic topic, and execute it in such a way that no other filmmaker like him can do. He sometimes makes you forget you're watching a movie, but instead, you're looking at the real world, through the eyes of a damaged person. I believe that the title of the film, "Flight", means so much to what the movie is trying to teach. The movie is not really about the flight that starts everything, but it mostly means that Whip has gone through so much in his life, and he tries to flee himself from this alcohol problem he has. In the very end of the movie, when he reveals the truth to the public that he was drunk on the flight, and being sent to jail, he delivers a moving and heartwarming final monologue that really set the tone of the movie. "Flight" is one of the most memorable movies of the whole year, from the stunning performances, flawless directing, and the incredible message behind it. It's impossible to not tear up at the end of the film, and walk out with a giant smile on your face. "Flight", in my review, "a stunningly realistic addiction tale, brilliantly executed and thought-provoking".