"He was some kind of a man".
10/10
Author: Bo Atdrinks from United Kingdom
5 February 2013
Paramount picture, so we see that lovely mountain.
Lead male is played by Denzel Washington. As film opens we see him waking for an early morning flight. The opening scene sets the scene for what is about to unfold, and so is not to be missed. Film moves quickly on to the flight, which encounters difficulties, to be blunt the plane nose-dives. The plane is going down (even while some stragglers are still coming into the cinema!).
Plane crash is done well by film and pilot. This is no rugby team crashing into the Andes Mountains. It is as dramatic, though the forced landing is not as destructive. Main theme of the film is how the crash effects Denzel Washington. In an interview, Washington says the film had nothing to do with the story of the plane that landed in the Hudson River, rather the story is about ten years old, and is based on a real-life event, thus the engineering and flying aspects are technically correct and actors used a simulator in preparation for the role.
Washington is a man with a good heart, but not a stout one, instead he is rather weak-hearted. After the crash, he meets others who have some effect on him. Washington is very believable as he deals with the emotions and situations that beset him. Nothing else however is to be expected from this great actor. Those who have seen him as the senior policeman in 'Training Day' or playing the gangster Frank Lucas, know he gives great performances of real depth, showing real human emotion, showing the bad in the good, and the good in the bad.
Some humour is injected with the appearance of John Goodman. Goodman who showed much pathos as Babe Ruth, who graced TV screens as the stage husband of 'Rosanne', is now gracing the screen with lovely cameo roles. However those who loved him in 'Argo' may have difficulty in spotting him. Not since Sean Penn was lawyer Dave, to his client Al Pacino, in 'Carlito's Way', have we seen such a transformation. It is as if that Argo film producer had been doing his own make-up for this film. Goodman is in only briefly but plays to the hilt his larger-than-life character.
Supporting cast give good performances, but a special mention should go to a stalwart from the 'Law & Order SVU' TV series, who gives a very strong performance. There again, you don't spend years on a TV series without learning how to act. In the main thread of the story, and the other threads, this film deals with adult themes. In the UK, it is rated 15. These adult themes are not hidden, and are central to the plot. This film surpassed my expectations, and finding no fault with it, I must give it a 10/10.
