This thriller/drama stars Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, and Bruce Greenwood, and is directed by Robert Zemeckis. Captain Whip Whitaker (Washington) is an extremely talented pilot who struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. When a commercial airplane that he is flying suddenly malfunctions, Whip is able to unbelievably land it safely by flying it completely upside down -- and ends up saving all but six of the hundred-plus lives on board. He is hailed a hero, as he and most others believe that had anyone else been flying that plane, it would have crashed an all would have perished. However, as details of his troubled personal life begin to emerge, people start to question whether Whip was high or drunk during the flight. If Whip is found to have been under the influence, he faces six counts of manslaughter and up to life in prison, even though he undoubtedly saved scores of lives. The film retells Whip's ordeal between the ill-fated flight and his trial, and the influence that several people -- including his friend/drug dealer Harling Mays (Goodman), the airline pilot's union representative Charlie Anderson (Greenwood), former addict Nicole Maggen (Reilly), and attorney Hugh Lang (Cheadle) -- have upon his life. Though the premise was promising, the film falls flat after the absolutely thrilling disaster scene. What should have been a very interesting, suspenseful film instead ended up boring and over-long, its main problem being that there are no characters to care about. Although Denzel Washington's performance is nuanced, it cannot save this disappointing dud.
Should you see it: Only if you're one of those (like me) who like to see all of the Awards Season films. If not, there's no need to; you're not missing anything.
Grade: C
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