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Flight, a Movie Review by Michael L. Johnson
I've been away from the movies for a couple of weeks, caught up in the best drama to captivate audiences in years: the 2012 Presidential Election. Make no mistake about it, that competition between President Obama and Governor Romney was a 5 on a scale where 5 is blessed and best. Now that it's over, it's popcorn time in the big city. Just yesterday, I flew in to see Flight, the new Robert Zemickus movie featuring Denzel Washington, and was not disappointed by the journey. The plot is as follows: "A seasoned airline pilot (a character named "Whip," played by Washington), miraculously lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, and saves nearly every soul on board. After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, something troubling is revealed." Dun dun dun dunnnn. That's pretty much all that Paramount gives away about the movie and I'll reveal little more. This one is worth seeing. I filled a seat in the Montgomery Royal Theatres in Wheaton, Maryland this time 'round. The popcorn was fresh and wouldn't let go of my hands. Good times.
The Good: Denzel Washington all day long. His performance is superb. It is not exactly Oscar winning material (to be honest), but it is an excellent performance. The supporting cast is also compelling (especially Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood and Tamara Tunie). Robert Zemeckis directs the film in a way that pulls audiences into the heart of the story without sentimentality--for the most part. And without sentimentality, the film moves you because it rings true to the real life struggles of flawed, yet heroic, people. It's quite funny in places and that humor is unexpected, but it helps to balance the mood of a film that deals with some very painful subject matter. The special effects are magnificent--and frightening, particularly if you plan on flying any time soon.
The Bad: The ending is a bit too neat. Life is not neat. It does not always work out so that heroes (even seemingly perfect ones) find peace and enlightenment after coming through a struggle. As much as I was rooting for this to happen for the "Whip" character, when it happened, the film waxed into cliche'.
The Most Important Question: Was it a Good Movie?
Oh hell yes, it was good. People were clappin, crying, and saying "Wow" at the movie's end. That's always a good sign. Some folks stayed seated an extra long time after the film ended almost out of reverence for the movie and stayed to watch the credits roll. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is best, Flight is 4.5. Absolutely.
--MLJ
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