Flight

I'm glad I caught up on this one. The combination of Robert Zemeckis and Denzel Washington sounded good and it worked. The opening 30 minutes with the plane crash is a decently intense beast and I liked the aftermath, the investigation and the subsequent trial where the protagonist is tried for alcohol and drugs. I had fun and Denzel was excellent as always. 75% (2024-05-12)

The first half-hour of Flight is a perfect lesson on how an elite pilot should behave in a crisis situation – knock down a pint of vodka with juice, turn a plummeting plane upside down, and land it in a field full of religious people. Zemeckis handles this little excursion into the disaster genre so masterfully that even James Cameron should applaud him from the deck of the Titanic. The rest of the film, however, is a rather painful confession of a broken alcoholic, which is not as dynamic as the spectacular opening, but it maintains an admirable emotional level, mainly thanks to Washington's first-class performance and the very naturalistic direction. Sometimes it hurts to look the truth in the eye, but this is the kind of film worth enduring that pain for. 80% (2013-09-02)

Flight is one of those movies that stands on a good premise and a riveting performance by the lead actor. The most important step in getting rid of any addiction is admitting that you have a problem. Without that, you can never start! The pilot Whip, played by Denzel Washington, might have something to say about that, as he is ironically considered both a hero who saved a hundred lives and a bad guy who broke the law. The contrast of good and evil, lying and self-awareness are the main themes of the film. The addition of another troubled person, Kelly Reilly, only further enhanced the fact and emphasis that is placed on addiction in its various forms. The airplane scenes were very impressive, as were the final preparations for the hearing and the very end. The small role for John Goodman was also very satisfying. All in all, an above average film with a compelling story and good actors that is a psychological probe into the problems of today's population. R (2013-06-26)

Denzel is cool! His nomination for the golden baldy is deserved. Although Flight claims that booze is bad, it basically says that cocaine is fine (if you have a tendency to overdo it with booze). I have one problem with this picture, I would have ended it after the first “no" before the commission. Then it wouldn’t have been such a propaganda stunt. Robert Zemeckis was missing in the classic movies genre, and his talent speaks for itself. His intimate scenes are sensational and he does visual masterpieces (plane falling) even better. Next time, a little shorter and pick a slightly better screenplay. Praise be to Jesus! (2013-01-11)

Zemeckis lives! After three techno-animation flicks, he’s finally back to live action with an ambitious drama with Denzel Washington in the main role. But it’s not really reason enough to uncork the bubbly. Flight is nothing more than a slightly above average film hurt by a too long run and going in circles (I drink. I won’t drink. I drink again. Now I won’t drink again, really), and the pointless subplot with Kelly Reilly, who gets into Denzel’s life out of nowhere, only to equally fast disappear. The plane crash scene is breathtaking, though, and one of the best of its kind I’ve ever seen, it’s a pity that it’s right at the beginning and the film has nothing else to climb with, on the contrary, it dives down from there; like a plane. (2013-01-10)