Flight

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 (26/06/2013)

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% (12/05/2024)

It was impossible not to know about this movie before its premiere. You see, I found the premise really appealing anytime I thought about it. I mean who wouldn’t like to see an airplane pilot save most of the passengers and crew with an absolutely incredible maneuver, all this while drunk and as high as a kite? The scene of the plane crash is so brutal that I could barely breathe in the first thirty minutes of the movie. Then the movie moves on to the investigation and at that point I sort of thought that the film would slow down somewhat. It did, but surprisingly, it didn’t get boring. For a movie that takes two hours and fifteen minutes, I must say ‘good job!’. On top of that, Denzel delivers a very good performance. I haven’t seen a person dissected so naturally in a movie for a long time. Absurdity mixes with reality, but the result and the final scene were definitely worth it. (21/02/2014)

A slow, moderate and conservative film with as much humanism as possible and a proper moral lesson at the end. Robert Zemeckis is a skilled director and leads the actors excellently and Denzel Washington delivers an extraordinary performance. The crash scene is not as intense as I imagined, but overall the drama is okay. The hero behaves logically, I enjoyed the dialogue sequences, and we also have a solid twist. The character of Kelly Reilly seems a bit redundant and forced (just to have a romantic storyline), but that's a minor detail. Maybe not the second Forrest Gump, but I expected something much shallower. (31/03/2013)

I have to say that I approached this film like a blind person to a violin. I hadn't read anything about it, I was only interested in the cast, the fact that it was nominated in several categories at the Oscars, and of course, the presence of Denzel Washington in the lead role. But what caught my attention even more was the director's name - Robert Zemeckis. Lately, I associate him mainly with visually demanding films, where animation is highly emphasized. After all, his last three films ("The Polar Express", "Beowulf", and "A Christmas Carol") were all 3D animations. However, I somehow forgot that this director also has films like "Forrest Gump" or "Cast Away" under his belt, where visual effects were limited or went unnoticed. He had a talent for strong storytelling, and as it turned out, he still has it when he departs from motion capture. The movie "Flight" is about a plane flight, that's what I expected, but what I didn't expect is the fact that this is a film about addictions. Addiction to drugs, but mainly to alcohol. How thin the line is between heroism and complete rejection. It takes very little - one or two glasses at the wrong time, and then a large quantity of others. Zemeckis, which is his strong suit, managed to perfectly depict the problematic flight that the film tells about. You will feel dizzy, you will feel sick from what is happening. You will realize that you are truly in a great coffin that, when it crashes, you are usually screwed. I am decent. Truly a great phase of the film, which must be highlighted. The rest is held together mainly by Washington's great acting. This person truly grew into a great actor. If the film didn't unnecessarily focus on religious babble, it would be more tolerable for me. Likewise, if it paid more attention to the supporting characters, who are truly secondary in this case, but the overall result is good. "Lincoln" had Daniel Day-Lewis, who was perfect, but "Flight" has not only a great actor (Denzel, but this time he won't reach the statue), but also a story and execution that are worth seeing. It works much better as a whole. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/01/divosi-10-years-divoka-stvoreni-lets.html (05/03/2013)