A Fantastic Examination of A Forced Hero

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2017)

When I first heard about a film being made about the proclaimed "Miracle on The Hudson" I wasn't really sure how much of a watch it was going to be compelling or even an event capable of making into a feature film but after watching the final product I was extremely impressed and I would consider watching this film again. From the first few scenes I quickly realised that Tom Hanks was a fantastic choice for the role of Chelsey Sullenberger he perfectly embodies his reluctance to accept the title that has been hoist upon him and his characters experience as a pilot. In my opinion Aaron Eckhart gives his greatest performance since The Dark Knight like Hanks he embodies his characters experience and knowledge but unlike Hanks he seems more hot headed and light hearted making him the perfect person to stand next to Hanks. As I previously said I was worried about this film being compelling otherwise it could slip into a tedious bore but thankfully it isn't mainly due to the fantastic structuring of this film, the film doesn't open with the plane crash but instead is gradually cut back to and seen from different perspectives and it was the best way to do this film as it gave weight to the situation and its aftermath, I think if it was done in chronological order it would have made the film slow down and drag after that pivotal moment. Clint Eastwood did such a good job of directing this film but it really shows in the plane crash he makes it intense and lifelike. However my biggest issue with Sully is its lack of subtlety in certain places, places such as the flashbacks to Sully's career in it felt extremely on the nose and came across as forced exposition that was already being perfectly covered with the investigation into the crash. Another area that fell flat was Sullys family drama it just wasn't done well and in the end just came across as a series of phone conversations that didn't really add anything to this film.
Sully is a fantastic film, definitely one of Eastwoods better efforts, both central performances from Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart at brilliant, it manages to turn this event into a compelling and riveting experience and I easily one of the best Aviator films I've ever seen.
82%/A-