Flight

Plot

William ‘Whip’ Whittaker is a seasoned commercial airline pilot. He is also a drug abusing alcoholic. On a routine flight, the plane malfunctions – and he manages to land it reasonably safely with only minimal fatalities. However his addictions come to light, and whether or not he was responsible – or was it an act of god?

Direction

Under the guide of legendary Robert Zemekis, this has one of the most epic crash sequences on film.

However, following that it becomes a little more dramatic – with more attention to character and dialogue. There are some decent techniques used such as dolly shots, and sound camera angles – but what makes this film is the performances and the aforementioned plane crash sequence.

Cast/Characters

The primary two characters are Whip and Nicole – played by British native Kelly Reilly – who is a fellow drug addict trying to get her life together following a near death overdose.

This role pre dates her Yellowstone role, and she does a sound job. I really enjoyed their on screen chemistry together.

Supporting cast such as John Goodman, Don Cheadle and Bruce Greenwood are all equally important to Whip’s story in their assistance in keeping his name clean. Goodman’s final scene, where he ‘assists’ Whip in the hotel adds some humour to a fairly intense screenplay.

James Badge Dale plays a very brief role as a cancer patient who has some memorable dialogue.

It is Washington who absolutely nails his role as Whip. The notoriously proper Washington, who rarely drinks is utterly believable as the blind drunk at times – and he should have won his Oscar for this over Training Day.

Score/Soundtrack

There is a fun soundtrack filled with popular songs spread throughout, and a nice score in the closing moments of the proceedings.

Overall

A well-made drama, with solid performances, primarily from the lead Washington. This could be a little confronting if you have yourself, or a loved one who suffers from addiction – as the depiction seemed quite genuine and confronting at times. A very strong recommend.

4/5