Captain Whip Whitaker (Washington) is a talented pilot and alcoholic. After a night of drinking and no sleep, he flies a plane to Atlanta. He navigates out of heavy turbulence, then takes a nap and allows the co-pilot, Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty) to fly the plane. He wakes when the planes starts having problems. The engines fail as they begin the final descent, and Whip takes drastic measures to land the plane.
The plane crashes, killing four passengers and two of the flight attendants. Whip walks away with minor injuries, and is considered a hero. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) begins investigating the crash and start looking into Whip's life. Meanwhile, at the hospital is meets and falls for heroin addict, Nicole Maggen (Reilly). Can Whip get his life together enough to survive the investigation?
This is another example of a film that is so different from it's previews. I knew the film was about a plane crash and that Denzel Washington's character was the pilot and potentially a reason for the crash... but I wasn't expecting the film to be so much about his addictions.
That being said, Washington is an incredible actor. He makes the character likeable and relate-able, despite all of his issues. His performance is nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor. I don't think he'll win, but he is a talented actor.
While the film focuses on Washington, he is backed by talented actors. Don Cheadle, another outstanding actor, kills it as lawyer Hugh Lang. John Goodman is funny as Harling Mays. He only appears in a few scenes (I think 3), but goes for broke and breaks some of the tension.
It is a well done film, that is a bit of a surprise. I enjoyed it more than I expected. Be prepared for the opening sequence, with unnecessary nudity.
Flight (2012) 138 minutes
Rated: R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Denzel Washington as Captain Whip Whitaker
Kelly Reilly as Nicole Maggen
Don Cheadle as Hugh Lang
Bruce Greenwood as Charlie Anderson
Tamara Tunie as Margaret Thomason
John Goodman as Harling Mays
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