Flight

Denzel Washington    d/ R. Zemeckis

Gripping character study. DW plays an alcoholic pilot who comes through in an extreme emergency, saves his plane and most of the passengers but whilst drunk. After the crash he tries and fails to come to grips with his problem.

Some of this was too pat...like meeting a beautiful redhead in the hospital who then goes clean and serves as an emotional anchor, and John Goodman's completely over-the-top druggie former best friend...  Still, DZ was a compelling figure...even while he was behaving badly he has a deep presence: we wanted him to be better and felt dismay at his serial failings. So the film worked. It stands as good hollywood product...a mainstream film that doesn't insult the viewer.

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