Hey everyone-
We recently saw the movie Flight and we’re happy to say it was a good one. Flight (directed by Robert Zemeckis) takes us on a first person experience of an airline flight gone horribly wrong. We’re also happy to say that the movie was far different from what any of us had previously expected.
The pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) is a pilot from Atlanta who’s aviation history runs deep within his family. On a routine work day he takes flight from Orlando to Atlanta in inclement weather but manages to make it through. When disaster strikes (a malfunction with the plane) Whip Whitaker takes the lead with copious instructions and maneuvers not for the weak of heart. Through his instructions he was able to save the plane and about 97% of the passengers. The twist comes with the not so subtle drinking that takes place between the beginning of the movie and the flight departure. Which eventually leads to the investigation by the NTSB which results in the discovery of drugs and alcohol within “somebody’s” blood stream.
The events throughout the movie were unpredictable, which is what kept our interest. Also I was surprised with the amount of Christian overtones in the movie, only because it was unexpected and blatant. In one part of the movie the co-pilot (Brian Geraghty) was explaining to Whip how nothing is coincidence and his wife continually interrupts him with “praise God” and “thank you Jesus.” All of which was fine but it was very awkward how it was executed. You could hear people whispering in the theatre like “whoa” or laughing because she looked possessed while saying these things. The discussion of divine intervention and blessings continue as Whip’s attorney (Don Cheadle) explains to him “It’s not anybody else Whip, it’s you. We ran the same simulation with other pilots and you know what? They all crashed and everybody died.”
I myself was pleasantly surprised to see Ellen Block (Melissa Leo) from HBO’s Treme, Deana (Garcelle Beauvais) who I haven’t seen since the Jaimie Foxx Show (oh the memories lol), and 2 of Atlanta’s very own Michael Beasley (who we’ve featured a few times in our magazine and blog. In this film he was Officer Edmonds, he recently starred in Steel Magnolias) and Steve Coulter (who played an NTSB Officer, was also in Hunger Games).
I know a lot has been summarized but there’s still a lot more to this film. It was well written and Denzel did a fantastic job playing the role of Whip Whitaker. It’s a tad over 2 hours long so make sure you’re fully energized before you watch. This is a movie worth the price of admission so don’t hesitate to go see it this weekend!
-TPR