Director Robert Zemeckis is known for directing blockbuster films such as “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” the “Back to the Future” series and “Forrest Gump” in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but he hasn’t created many quality films since then.
His latest movie “Flight,” however, certainly deserves all of the high praise it’s been getting.
“Flight” stars Denzel Washington as airline captain William “Whip” Whitaker. Whip is best characterized as a man with good intentions, but he lets his alcoholic condition impair his relationships with his friends and family as well as his lifestyle.
One morning after a night of heavy drinking, a hungover Whip prepares for what appears to be a morning routine flight. To clear his somnolent state, Whip sniffs a few lines of cocaine at an Orlando hotel room. Midway through the flight, the plane unexpectedly suffers a mechanical breakdown.
As panic sets in throughout the passengers, the plane is in serious danger of crashing when Whip takes it upon himself to perform a miraculous landing into the middle of a field.
Upon impact, Whip suffers whiplash and other minor injuries and soon finds himself at a nearby hospital, where he learns that his heroics have saved 96 out of 102 lives onboard the plane.
However, he soon becomes the subject of an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding his intoxicated state while operating the plane, which could lead to manslaughter and drug charges against him.
Zemeckis always excels in his deep character studies in his films.
He impressed with his deep portrayal of Forrest Gump in his self-titled movie as well as Chuck Noland in “Cast Away.” Both of those roles were played by Tom Hanks and now Washington has flourished well in the role Zemeckis has given him.
The movie isn’t necessarily plot-heavy, but instead focuses much more on the heroic yet flawed personality that Whip possesses.
Alcohol is a big part of Whip’s life. Even after briefly giving up the juice, he goes right back to drinking after he learns that his heroics have been discredited as a result of his NTSB investigation.
It’s clear that when anything goes wrong in his life, the alcohol becomes a healing mechanism for Whip to get past any obstacle that he faces.
From this, Zemeckis teaches us how dangerous it can be to succumb to drugs for support.
This is easily Washington’s best performance in years. He has always been known as someone who possesses great acting abilities, but his role as Whip in “Flight” is easily the most complex and difficult role he’s been dealt in his career.
In addition to great acting by the lead man, “Flight” features a very gripping script.
Most of the action tails off after the plane crash, but the movie manages to keep the viewer’s attention by providing excellent dialogue from an ensemble cast that also includes John Goodman as a drug dealer and Don Cheadle as a quick-witted and confident attorney.
For all these reasons, it’s no wonder why “Flight” has already garnered $24.9 million at the box office in only its first weekend.
“Flight” currently holds second place at the box office behind “Wreck-It Ralph.” If the movie’s success becomes a consistent trend, “Flight” can be expected to be at the top of the box office by next week.
At Tinseltown on Rotunda Drive in Erie, adult tickets cost $8. Showtimes are as follows: 12:10 p.m., 12:55 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m.. 6:20 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 9:25 p.m. and 10:20 p.m.
To order tickets, call 814-866-3390 or visit cinemark.com.
