About a troubled Pilot who can't get his life in order.

Rating: 8/10 (5 December 2012)

Academy-Award winning actor Denzel Washington portrays one of his more complex characters, William "Whip" Whitaker, in the new movie Flight. Washington takes you through the life of a first-class pilot who is under the influence of the demon drink. Flight took me on a wild ride, taking dramatic and unexpected turns throughout the story. The power of Washington's performance coupled with the dramatic twists of director Robert Zemeckis makes Flight one of the best movies of 2012.
Whip Whitaker is a top-of-the-line ex-Air Force pilot. However, in the opening of the movie, Whip wakes up with a younger woman and it appears they did not get much sleeping done. It is presented immediately that Whip has his family troubles as he is on the phone with his ex-wife arguing over financial issues with her and his son. Even after a morning of drinking and drugs, Whip pilots a commercial plane full of over 100 passengers. During the flight scene, I was taken through one of the most extreme and wild rides I have seen in cinema. The booming explosions and screeching of the people in the cabin made the crash even more dramatic. The enthralling ups and downs kept me on the edge of my seat and in a whole different world. The flight scene alone is enough reason to see this drama-filled thriller. The camera angles really added to the scene as well. Zemeckis did a good job of getting multiple points of view of the chaos. Whip miraculously lands the plane in breath- taking fashion despite the near catastrophic outcome. Shortly after, Whip is a nationwide hero, but as the crash is looked into, investigators find that things may be more complicated than originally thought. The majority of the film follows the devastation following the crash.
The development of Whip Whitaker and his supporting cast is very intriguing and keeps your stomach churning throughout the movie. The theme of recovery and overcoming adversity seems immanent for Whip, and this battle points back to a moment on the plane when he says, "I have control." He said this when the plane was in its moment of malfunction. It was not until I watched for a second time and thought it was ironic how Whip has control of the plane, but not of his own life. Washington's supporting cast was also a superb feature of the film. Don Cheadle portrayed Hugh Lang, the slick lawyer of Whip Whitaker who devotes everything for a man that hardly seems to respect him. Cheadle and Washington had great chemistry as two sides that were fighting the same cause, but also fighting each other. Denzel Washington has a very interesting twist of his character. What I found that was remarkable was that Washington was able to convey a deep and disturbed addict, that somewhere in him had a conscience that told him what he was doing was wrong. In the movie he says the whole time he knows what he was doing and everything was okay, but he let me know that he was in trouble. Despite the drama, John Goodman brought some comedic light to the story. As Harling Mays, the friend and drug supplier for Walt, Goodman played the guy that walks into the room like he owns it. It was as if I knew him on a personal level after seeing him for only a few seconds. The cast may be one of the biggest attractions of this movie. Following Whip throughout his battle is both riveting and heartbreaking. However, at times it can be a little clichÃ©. The idea of a drunken father estranged from his family has been a reoccurring theme in cinema. In Zemeckis' film Forrest Gump he also uses the estranged father theme with the Gump father, and the father of Jenny. When I saw Whip confront his family, it felt like a scene that has been done before. Overcoming the struggles of alcohol, drugs, and even lying has been done many times. Washington's portrayal of Whip Whitaker should be nothing short of award winning. The movie however may not have grossed as much as expected as it came in 2nd in the box office behind the Disney film Wreck It Ralph. It made just south of $25 million. This fell below my expectations as it was also advertised as one of Washington's best performances. Despite the fact that there are moments that are relatable to other movies, Flight is a movie that I would recommend to anybody who appreciates Academy-Award winning movies. Washington's job with Whip is impeccable. Flight is now in theatres and is rated R for drug and alcohol usage, language, and sexual/nudity scenes.