‘Flight’

 

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Written by John Gains

With Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood

And John Goodman

 

Fasten your seat belts. Flight will have you searching for any alternative to flying to get to your next faraway destination. This film, brilliantly directed by Robert Zemeckis(“Forrest Gump,” “Glory,” “Training Day,” “Castaway”) is not just an air disaster nailbiter, but really a character study of its lead character, Whip Whitaker, astutely played by Denzel Washington.

Whip, a former Navy ace, is a commercial pilot who likes his booze, coke and weed. In the opening scenes he wakes up after a night of sex and drugs with a flight attendant. He takes a long swig of alcohol, chugs a couple of  beers. To wake himself, he does a few lines of coke. Next you see him in his pilot’s uniform boarding a plane in Orlando, Fla., bound for Atlanta, Ga. 

He is higher than a kite. He straps himself into his seat after drinking three mini bottles of vodka. Finally he guides the plane into the sky. After takeoff, mechanical difficulties cause the plane to lose its power: it is in free fall.  There are terrifying scenes of chaos and frenzy. Somehow he calmly and masterfully crashes the plane with the loss of only a few lives. He is hailed as a hero.

Until the inquiries begin. Whip’s blood alcohol levels indicate he was drinking. Legions of media people want explanations. The pilots’ union and the airlines want a cover up. Insurance companies are circling. An attorney (Don Cheadle)is hired. Whip’s drinking is the issue. Was he drunk when he flew that plane?

The real story of “Flight” is about a man coming to terms with the truth about himself.

Whip has a drinking problem. He has an ex-wife who hates him. His son hates him. Now his flying career is over. He is tough, but also frail. He has a haunted look, he stumbles, blacks out, is often falling down drunk. He does not seek help. He has saved 96 lives, but he can’t save himself.

There is a NTSB hearing to determine Whip’s state of mind while flying. Ellen Block (Melissa Leo) leads the examination. He has been carefully prepped by the attorneys.

Denzel Washington gives a simply perfect in-depth performance as a man struggling to come to the truth about himself. A bit of comic relief is provided by John Goodman who plays Hurling Mays, Whip’s drug pusher. This comic element is a little out of place in this hard-nosed story.

“Flight” is not about the horrific airplane crash. It is a thoughtful film about how a person can fake it, how one tries to get through life as an alcoholic. It is a thriller, a legal drama with some romance, a bit of melodrama. Will there be redemption? See “Flight” and you will find out.