Robert Zemeckis's return to live action shows he's still
very much interested in telling intimate character dramas set against grand,
blockbuster-sized backdrops. Flight manages to weave in comedy, drama,
and thrilling tension around one of the most terrifying cinematic plane crashes
in recent memory, all piloted by one of the finest performances of the year
from Denzel Washington. It isn't
just about the plane crash but more about the drastic consequences of the
choices we make and how one man struggles to face his addictions. Unfortunately,
after the thrilling opening sequence, the film simply can't keep up, instead
descending into a nosedive of tonal inconsistency and overblown melodrama.
After a rough night, pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington)
decides a line of cocaine is exactly what he needs to help prep him for the
plane he's flying later that morning.
When the plane mysteriously loses power, Whip remains calm and deftly
maneuvers the plane upside down in order to ensure a safer emergency landing.
As Whip mentions many times throughout, nobody but him could have landed that
plane. As the investigation threatens to expose his criminal activities
potentially tying him to the six deaths related to the crash, Whip's denial to
face his inner demons sends him on a roller coaster ride of media fame,
sobriety, and addiction.
The pulse-pounding opening crash sequence sets up the
situation perfectly by grabbing the audience and not letting go, forcing them
to experience the crash, not just passively watch it. As great as the action in
the movie is, the real meat of the film deals with the complicated moral issues
surrounding Whip and his addictions.
Flight has no problem with
asking the hard questions but ultimately never offers up anything all that
interesting or unique in its answers.
Much like his lead character, Zemeckis binges on too much melodrama with
an overbearing score and clichéd drinking sequences, sacrificing important contemplative
moments in order to hammer the point home.
Tonally, the film is a mess frequently mixing comedy and
serious drama, rendering both somewhat useless. It doesn't help that the finale consists of nothing more
than a generic character reflection through fairly boring legal proceedings and
half-baked relationship subplots.
The shining light through it all is a predictably great performance from
Washington. He showcases his usual
charisma, making Whip feel like an underdog hero instead
of the fairly ugly human being lurking beneath. Flight is an interesting
mess of a movie with one hell of an opening and a powerful lead performance,
but with a better script and a clear focus it could have been so much more.
