Flight (2012) Review

By: Kameron McBride

Can someone redeem a life full of faults and misery in one single act? If that person was called upon in a moment of crisis and their hand was forced to do something right, could they? These are the question surrounding "Flight," the latest film from director Robert Zemeckis.

"Flight" centers around Captain Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) who is an airplane pilot but really has no business being around a plane. He is an alcoholic and drug addict. Whip even drinks excessive amounts of alcohol the night before a flight but shoots cocaine the next morning so he can "right himself." That same night Whitaker spends with one of his flight attendants to whom he reveals he divorced, with a child he rarely sees.

Whip then rolls out of bed and heads to his flight for the day, inspecting the plane before takeoff in a heavy rainstorm. The co–pilot seems leery of Whip but ultimately they take off without anyone stopping the plane. They meet initial heavy turbulence but Whip is able to securely lead them out of the danger without any damage to the plane. As they are about to descend, however, the plane goes into a nosedive. Whip acts quickly, inverting the plane to stabilize it, then making an emergency crash landing that reduces 102 potential casualties to six. Whip is hailed as a hero until it's discovered a post–crash blood test detailed alcohol in Whip's system.

This forms the central conflict of the film: should Whip escape accountability for being drunk because he landed the plane so well? Could those six have survived if Whip had been completely sober? Does a lifetime of letting alcohol destroy his life become undone with his saving the plane?

I think this film raises a lot of interesting questions and develops Whip into a very interesting character but rather than explore these questions the film just asks them over and over again relentlessly. 

I think this sometimes leads to the emotion in this film is laid on a little too thick. Scenes drag on as characters speak their minds in ways people rarely do in real life. Lines like "I'm divorced and have a kid I never see because I drink!" I think were tedious after awhile. Too often characters bare their feelings, which actually leads to the complexity being diluted. I also believe the religious subtext is stuffed in far too much. At every given moment it seems we are reminded that the crash was an act of God and that Whip should turn to faith in order to restore his life.

The only thing keeping this story from teetering completely into schmaltz is Washington's terrific performance. He is such a charismatic, charming actor and yet he's able to infuse a lot of complexity and edge to his character. His battle with alcoholism feels authentic, as he gravitates back and forth without it being too over–the–top. Washington portrays this expertly and deserves all the credit in the world for his work.

Don Cheadle as Whip's lawyer and John Goodman as his best friend/ drug supplier add good supporting roles, giving even more urgency on the different directions Whip is being pulled.

I liked this movie, I thought the tension in the opening flight and then every time Whip approached alcohol was terrific. We get a good sense of Whip's character and the battle with alcohol is believable and interesting. The movie is undone at times by overloaded dialogue and heavy–handed character development. The pacing can be slow and meandering at times too, the ticking clock of Whip's court date isn't apparent enough to build tension towards the final scene. We end up seeing his battle with booze but don't have a good sense of what the timeline for his discipline is.

"Flight" is a good way to spend two hours, it provides some good visuals and some interesting questions. I just wish we got a little more focused exploration of them.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆