Brilliant portrayal of a potentially catastrophic event

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2016)

9 December 2016 Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester Tonight - Sully. It's a strange experience to write about a film based on true events, even more so when you can remember the actual event occurring in real time. The landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in New York was testament to the skill and experience of Captain Chelsey Sullenberger and his Co-pilot Jeff Skiles as he brought the bird to an almost unheard of safe, yet watery landing which saved all 155 souls on board. Immediately hailed a hero by the media and pretty much the whole of the TV watching, social media connected world, Sully's bravery and heroism was quickly brought into doubt by the NTSB enquiry which seemed to suggest that he needn't have landed on the river at all. The cast was very cleverly assembled, bringing together a group of officials who were smugly sanctimonious and utterly sure they were bringing an airline pilot to task for a sure fire mistake which had almost cost people their lives. History tells us they were wrong but the film had me wanting to put these people in their place as I was itching to shout at the screen and remind them what a hero Sully really was. A first collaboration for director Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks, it was superbly shot and CGI has come on a long way enabling us to really believe the plane on our screens was hitting the water. Tom Hanks is a consummate professional, an actor who assumes the character of every role he plays with a flair you don't find in many other actors, and he brought the personality of Sully to the screen with skill and compassion which made us really believe we could read the thoughts and feel the emotions of the man he was portraying. This was one of the rare films where I didn't move in my seat until it had ended. A definite watch!!!!