I had to start off with a special movie this New
Year. The only options I had were Cloverfield or Flight. Reading as it does
that Denzel Washington plays a pilot who saves a bunch of lives followed by a
legal drama there was absolutely no competition. Also, the IMDb score does
help.
One thing to be pointed out though is that the movie is
quite far from what the trailer pitches it to be. The movie is a study of a
tumultuous character more than the investigation and the conspiracies following
the plane crash.
Flight is probably Denzel
Washington’s first serious drama flick since The Great Debaters back in 2007.
The story mainly dwells around the life of the pilot Whip Whitaker played by
Washington. Whip Whitaker is your everyday pilot for a domestic American
airline who seems to have more than average discernible talent behind the
controls of an aircraft and that seems to be his only saving grace through till
the end of the movie. But alongside his penchant for controlling flights
through turbulent storms he also has difficulty with his turbulent personal
life which is stirred mostly by his heavy alcohol and drug abuse.
The story dwells in more his delusions of his control of alcohol and drug abuse than his heroic actions that saved 96 lives on board his plane whereas any other flight would have killed them all. Investigations into the flight also bring out his troubles with alcohol and could destroy his career. This is where the American view on justice and their judicial system has a card that might shatter his delusions and stop his prevarication about his alcohol and drug abuse once and for all. The same abuse that had damaged every chance of him leading a normal life and destroyed more than a few relationships. On the other hand his attorney Hugh Chang played by Don Cheadle desperately tries to make Whitaker perjure himself to save his career and continue living a lie. The climax follows Whitaker’s decision of paramount importance and the backlash it has on his life.
This entire movie can be
viewed as a single man’s first step in a 12 step Alcohol recovery program. His
acceptance of his problems is paramount to repair everything he has broken
down. The movie as a whole was pretty good nothing exceptional. Washington’s
acting was excellent. Great story though. Definitely worth a single watch. And to dd to that is his offbeat relationship with Nicole played by Kelly Reilly who nudges him in the right direction.
Also an important aspect of
this movie highlights the ridiculousness of the American judicial system with
the perspective that even after the heroic efforts to save the soul they still
need someone to sue for the few lost souls.A very cause effect factorized system.
PS- Also notable about this
movie is that it is his first R rated movie since Used Cars in 1980. Thanks to
Nadine Velazquez in the very beginnings of the movie.
