Flight, is a harrowing dramatic picture that portrays a brief period in the life of a misguided heroic pilot, played by Denzel Washington. If you've seen the trailers and other promo for this movie, you've unfortunately seen pretty much the majority of what this movie has to offer. I have a difficult time as well, kind of callously dismissing any cinematic effort from Denzel Washington, but this one has a good bit about it, that I've already dismissed. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good to take from this, but perhaps my expectations from Washington, and Robert Zemeckis, the movie's director/producer, were a bit too lofty. Also too worth mentioning, Flight seems like the type of movie that doesn't give away too complete of a picture of it's intended message.
Briefly touching on a few critiques from some of Hollywood's more reputable critics, Denzel's performance is lauded as being "one of the best in his career" in terms of depicting a train-wreck of a person, wrapped in such a heroic act that it splits not only the audience, trying to figure out whether or not they should hate this guy or applaud him for being able to do what no other expert could. But, it not only casts this difficult decision on the audience as a whole, but as a moviegoer it makes you have to personally decide which side your on, as well. How can I man throw away what seemed like a solid relationship and a beautiful family away, for bottle after bottle of intoxicating spirits? Yea sure, it can be simple, easy momentary escape, but it always come with repercussions and you can't always call on a "Harling Mays'-esque" character to come and reset your battery. If there's one overall theme to take away from this effort from Zemeckis, is a completely jaded protagonist who's always gotten away with the stupid decisions he's made in the past, but on one given day, the repercussions got too be much for him, and there wasn't really anywhere to escape to. Washington's character provides for an interesting scene at the end of this one, that provides for some post-fallout commentary/discussion about the movie.. But I wont spoil it.
John Goodman's character, although afforded little camera time, does more than steal a scene, he may have also kick started the movie when it really needed a boost. Don Cheadle, is clever and dominant in his supporting role, in a major scene that really required him to be. Kelly Reilly, another actress, who's work is worthy of mention, provides Washington's character with an equally troubled counterpart upon which to massage and mold, Whip Whitaker (The character Washington portrays), into the final product which he see him as, during the deposition before, Melissa Leo's character, Ellen Block and the rest of the NTSB panel.
Flight, is a good movie, but unfortunately with the current crop of films playing, and title's like Lincoln and Skyfall, coming soon, I can't fully recommend using haste to see this one, but certainly see it, if your a Denzel fan or just really want to change your holiday travel plans.
