Flight

If the main focus of Flight was the dramatic plane crash where Denzel Washington’s character, a pilot, saves the lives of his passengers, then the movie would be accessible to wide-ranging audiences. However, after that very exciting sequence early in the film, the story unfolds as the tale of an alcoholic drug abuser, whose problems finally catch up with him. Of course during that miraculous plane crash he was under the influence, so he must try and find a way out of legal trouble. It’s all very stressful.

Washington gives a strong performance, but he’s one of those actors who have become so iconic that he always seems to be playing himself with a twist. He sounds like Denzel always sounds, moves like Denzel always moves, but he’s an alcoholic. The supporting cast offers a bit of reprieve. Kelly Reilly plays another drug abuser, who becomes a love interest for Washington’s character. But since she has an easier time making good choices than her counterpart, she becomes a more sympathetic character. Don Cheadle and Bruce Greenwood also add touches of responsibility that prove important to keep the audience from the constant cringing and disappointment.

Ultimately, Flight relies almost entirely on the talent and likability of Denzel Washington. His acting ability is very strong and he’s able to carry the movie squarely on his shoulders. But what often happens with movies like this, the attempt at depth restricts the audience from caring enough about the character. I suppose it’s meant to be a cautionary tale of the dangers of alcoholism, but the underlying theme of the drugs and alcohol complimenting each other to make the habit possible to live with is just odd. There is of course an attempt at the end to denounce the whole ordeal, but over two hours of chasing boos with cocaine isn’t quite resolved with the last 10 pages in the script.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.