After an aggravating 15-minute session of trying to find a movie with my food slowly growing colder by the second, I chose to revisit the 2012 thriller/action film “Flight.”

I really don’t like to rewatch movies or tv shows, but Denzel Washington is one of the few people whose films I can go back to. 

Drug- and alcohol-addicted airplane pilot Whip Whitaker (Washington) goes to work, in his typical fashion, being drunk and or high. While flying under the influence, the plane starts to malfunction due to mechanical issues. He manages to land the plane as safely as possible. While corporations are investigating the malfunction, they find out that Whitaker was under the influence, which causes his life to spiral.

Washington is a generational actor. There are few like him who have been in the field as long as he has. I really don’t think he’s ever had a bad performance.

Having the main conflict occur at the beginning of the film was a great way to keep viewers interested. The plane flying upside down was deranged and captivating. As this was the main action of the movie, the intensity declines and never rises again.

It was not a downfall for the film though. The way the characters interact and how Whitaker’s drug and alcohol abuse affects other people’s lives is intriguing.

We’re able to see the resentment Whitakers ex-wife and son have for him due to his addictions. I wish they would have shown this dynamic a little more.

There is a small glimpse at the beginning after the crash where Whitaker convincingly said that he wanted to stop drinking and taking drugs, but that doesn’t hold up for too long.

The time at the hotel before his hearing was great. The tension while he’s making his decision to drink again was gripping.

Sequentially, the hearing was enthralling. The lead investigator, Ellen Block (Melissa Leo) does a great job with being aggressive toward Whitaker. She asks him a question that ultimately decides his fate. When she asked the question though, it seems that she already knew the answer.

Whitaker had been lying up to this point, but when she asks, he finally answers honestly. She asked him again, which left me pondering. Since she asked him twice, it came across that she was trying to give him a chance to redeem himself and take back his answer. It didn’t seem necessary for her to ask him a second time since he was so clear the first.

The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, known for the “Back to the Future” franchise. He also has a slew of other films under his belt, and this was another great addition to his filmography.

Surprisingly, this story wasn’t based on a true story. It definitely seems like something that could happen in real life– well maybe not flying a plane upside down.

Rate: 4.5/5

Cam’ron Hardy can be reached at 581-2812 or at cahardy@eiu.edu.