Kino Lorber
While he left an indelible mark on pop culture with the likes of the Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and Forrest Gump, Robert Zemeckis has largely failed to impress since the turn of the millennium, delivering one lackluster box office bomb after another.
As such, the critical acclaim that 2012’s Flight received alongside its financial success at the box office was an unusual return to form for Zemeckis, but then it is hard to go wrong when you have Denzel Washington leading your film.
Flight follows commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Washington) as he pulls off nothing short of a miracle during a midair crisis, averting what should have ended in tragedy with massive loss of life instead becoming an amazing tale of a pilot who kept his cool when his crew and passengers needed him most.
However, while he is being praised for his heroism and piloting skills, in reality, Whip is a functioning alcoholic, and he had been drinking shortly before the incident, leaving him open for scrutiny that could spell the end of his career and turn his world upside down with the serious consequences drinking while flying comes with, especially due to how it will by perceived in conjunction with such a serious incident.
What follows is a journey of internal turmoil as Whip tries to navigate his substance abuse and the looming consequences dictated by how he steers himself through the aftermath of a heroic deed soured by a self-destructive addiction.
The narrative of a pilot on the brink, stumbling through a moral dilemma while tackling substance abuse is excellent, however, the realism in terms of the central incident in the beginning of the film, which has been scrutinized plenty by aviation professionals since the film’s initial release, is questionable, so significant suspension of disbelief regarding the film’s aviation elements is in order.
Washington is by default the best thing about anything he stars in, as he is one of the most formidable actors of all time, and he once again proves it with his performance as the alcoholic pilot, making the most of a meaty character-driven drama with a deeply nuanced performances that allowed Washington to delve into his character and bring him to life with such subtle panache as only he can.
The supporting players also do well to live up to the standard set by the lead actor, with John Goodman delivering an energetic performance as Whip’s drug dealer being a particular standout, but there are no weak players here, as they all help to weave a mesh of narrative complexity around Washington, enriching what he has to play off of.
A character piece centering around a powerful central performance, the themes of accountability and the many pitfalls of substance abuse are heavy subjects to broach, and while some of the technical elements may play fast and loose with realism, the film still offers an unforgettable central set piece in the form of the midair crisis, but it ultimately retains its watchability thanks to Washington’s performance, which gained him an Oscar nod for a reason.
Extras include audio commentary, interview, featurettes, Q&A interview highlights, and trailer.
Verdict: 7 out of 10.
