Solidly and Professionally made and acted film

Rating: 8/10 (13 September 2016)

Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks throws the first punches in the 2016 Oscar battle with this very good drama about hero pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who successfully landed his US Airways plane in the Hudson river after both engines were taken out by birds.
Professionally and economically directed by Eastwood, this film focuses on the NTSB investigation into the landing and could Sully have flown the plane to a nearby airport?
The answer is never really in doubt as we all know what happened and Eastwood casts "Mr. Trustworthy" Tom Hanks in the title role, so when the NTSB questions Sully's instincts and decisions, Hanks/Sully responds that he KNEW he did the right thing, we - as the audience - never doubt him as well.
This movie shows a director and an actor in lockstep with each other and both showing that they "still have it". Let's start with Hanks (and the other actors). The whole cast is excellent. Hanks, of course, takes us along for the ride and he says more with a look of determination and a squint of his eye than most actors can with a thousand words and gestures. His Sullenberg is a real human being, with doubts and troubles, but strong and in command. Hanks is ably assisted by Aaron Eckhardt as co-pilot Jeff Skiles. To be honest, I find Eckhardt's acting to be pedestrian - not bad, not great, pretty middle of the road - but he is as good as I have seen him in this role. I think it is because he has to elevate his game in riding side saddle to Hanks, and step up he does. Laura Linney (as Sully's wife) and Holt McCallany (as Sully and Skiles Union Rep) also give strong, solid performances. Only the trio of NTSB investigators - Mike O'Malley, Anna Gunn and Jamie Sheridan - fair poorly, but I think that is because the script really draws them with heavy, villainous lines - lines that need to be drawn to give the film some dramatic tension - but lines that do turn these three into caricatures, not human beings.
But that small quibble can be forgiven because of the solid, workmanlike direction of Eastwood. This movie is short, compact and solid - nary a scene too long or extraneous word of dialogue in the film. Eastwood, wisely, knows that the tension in this film is NOT whether or net Sully is cleared by the NTSB, but by the 208 seconds of the flight from the bird strike to landing and Eastwood films this so well and so precisely that I was glued to my seat, even though I knew what happened and how it ended. For good measure, Eastwood goes through that 208 seconds a 2nd time and I was just as glued to my seat that time as well!
A strong effort from Eastwood and Hanks, one that you will enjoy viewing.
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)