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CathyA
2-10-13, 1:52pm
DH and I saw "Flight" last night with Danzel Washington. The previews for it looked exciting.

SPOILER ALERT .....................................



I have to say the plane ride was really, really exciting and scary.
But I thought the rest of the movie would be exciting too. I thought he would spend all his time trying to convince people that even though he was full of drugs, he still
landed the plane fairly safely.
But it seemed to be more of an AA story.
I was disappointed in almost everything after the plane landed.

Anyone else?

Alan
2-10-13, 2:13pm
I saw it yesterday as well. It's a character study of one man's path to redemption. Overall, I liked it.

CathyA
2-10-13, 2:21pm
Alan.........did you like the initial plane scene? I don't know if some of that maneuvering is even possible in real life, but it was sure some good filming. We watched it on our small TV. Would have been great on the big screen.

Alan
2-10-13, 2:25pm
Alan.........did you like the initial plane scene? I don't know if some of that maneuvering is even possible in real life, but it was sure some good filming. We watched it on our small TV. Would have been great on the big screen.
I loved the plane crash scene. I read somewhere that the same maneuver was attempted in the Alaska Airlines crash in 2000 (or thereabouts), without success.

CathyA
2-10-13, 2:29pm
Sure would be great to be able to keep one's head in a crisis like he did. I would be more like the co-pilot. haha

sweetana3
2-10-13, 2:43pm
We are getting on a big plane for a long flight and so I cannot process movies about issues on planes. It is hard enough on hubby to be on a plane with panic attacks (anti anxiety medicine before and sometimes during) that he will not watch either. Used to have no issues but anxiety is getting worse.

CathyA
2-10-13, 2:49pm
I can understand that sweetana! My DH had a severe phobia of flying (hasn't been on a plane in years), and that scene was exceptionally hard for him to watch!

Another SPOILER ALERT...........



Alan,
I hope I didn't seem stupid about not seeming to know it was about redemption. I just thought it took too long to get there. haha And the scene when he discovered the open door into the next room in his hotel room.......It just seemed like someone couldn't possibly drink that much! And why didn't the guy guarding him hear all that ruckus? And who would have left that door open with the deadbolt out, and the window open too? haha.......I guess I'm just looking for things in movies to make too much sense.
I WAS afraid that they would ignore all his drinking/drug use and focus just on his saving the plane in the end. And what a horrible message that would send. But it was all pretty predictable.

iris lily
2-10-13, 3:13pm
I like Denzel Washington but am on the fence about seeing this one and would only consider it for his performance which ciritcs liked a lot. Plane crash films scare me.

But next week the new Die Hard film comes out! On Valentine's Day! We may go to see it on that day. BOth DH and I love Bruce Willis.

Alan
2-10-13, 3:39pm
Plane crash films scare me.
The plane crash is over within the first 10 minutes. The rest is about how the protagonist deals with his addictions and relationships.

Tammy
2-10-13, 6:21pm
I liked it because it relates my career. I was surprised though, as I also expected more of a legal battle against injustice theme.

catherine
2-11-13, 8:24am
I can understand that sweetana! My DH had a severe phobia of flying (hasn't been on a plane in years), and that scene was exceptionally hard for him to watch!

Another SPOILER ALERT...........


It just seemed like someone couldn't possibly drink that much! And why didn't the guy guarding him hear all that ruckus? And who would have left that door open with the deadbolt out, and the window open too? haha.......I guess I'm just looking for things in movies to make too much sense.


SPOILER..

I loved it. I really enjoyed the initial flight scene, and I really loved how they portrayed Denzel's inner demons and his journey to self-awareness.

Perhaps, Cathy, you just couldn't relate to it, but I really could. It was a very real depiction of the inner turmoil of an alcoholic/addict. As far as the mini-bar scene.. that was real too. I loved how you could read Denzel's face when he took that first one out of the minibar.

If you've lived with alcoholic or have been an alcoholic, unfortunately the movie made too much sense at times, and unfortunately those moments of redemption are not that predictable in real life.

CathyA
2-11-13, 9:16am
SPOILER ALERT




I DO understand it was about redemption. I guess the timing of things is what bothered me. Maybe, for me, the redemption part was too short. And there were some issues that seemed odd to me........like how his lawyer could get the blood tests thrown out, and how the airline company could side with the drugged pilot.
I, too, liked the scene with the mini bar in the other room. I thought the turn-around would be when he left that little bottle on top of the mini-bar. But.........when that shot lasted so long, I just knew what was going to happen.
catherine........I actually can relate a little. I have a food addiction that I'll probably struggle with my whole life. It was just hard for me to imagine that anyone could drink that much all the time, without dropping dead.
Maybe I didn't make this clear in my original post, but I was hoping for more struggle with the "yes, he was drugged up, but he saved more lives than anyone else ever could have". To me, there just wasn't much of that.
And it was a bit disgusting that his lawyers realized that he needed some cocaine, to be less drunk.....and got it for him. Wasn't John Goodman funny/disgusting? I had to laugh when his friend or lawyer tried to reach for Goodman's "bag of tricks" and he yells out "Hey! Don't touch the merch, mo fo!" He was a crazy character.

Actually.....you guys are making me think I liked this film more than I originally thought. I did like that his recovering girlfriend just had to leave him, in order not to be pulled down again herself.
At the end, were those pictures of her in his cell?
I just wish the film made his redemption a bit longer.
I'm going to watch it again.

CaseyMiller
2-21-13, 11:55pm
I thought the movie was pretty good. Denzel was incredible.

I didn't get the intent of all the religious connotations though. I mean Denzel's character was obviously an atheist and the co-pilot and his wife seemed like religious fanatics. The plane hit a church...etc. I couldn't figure out if the point being made was there is a god causing all of this. Or, there is no god.

Anyone have any insights on what message was trying to be made on this?

CathyA
2-22-13, 6:16am
Hmmmm.........I hadn't even thought of that Casey. I was thinking the co-pilot's religiosity was just a way of throwing in another bump in the road for the pilot. I was thinking that the co-pilot could have testified one way or the other in terms of the pilot's competence, but the writers removed that as a possibility, by making the co-pilot "crazy".
I didn't even think about the plane hitting a church steeple as symbolic. Maybe I should have? I was thinking that out in the country, maybe the only thing that is that high off the ground, is a church steeple. Then they needed all those religious people out in the field to notify the authorities and help get people off the plane.??

But in keeping with your idea.........maybe the type of religiosity that the co-pilot had, and the people in that church (I think they were evangelical?) represents just another addiction? And the plane running into the steeple might foresee a break in his own addiction??

CaseyMiller
2-22-13, 9:10am
Interesting. Yes, there definitely was some type of message trying to be sent about religion or god. The lawyer had an "act of god" entered into the accident investigation. The cancer patient in the hospital talked about god. The plane hit a church and the rescuers were dressed it white like angels. The co-pilot's strong faith is emphasized. Yet, the Captain's character seems to scoff at religion. I expected some type of reconciliation on this before the end of the movie but there was none. The movie never seemed to show if the Captain embraced religion or not.

CathyA
2-22-13, 9:46am
I suppose one's interpretation of the religious stuff could be different, depending on which side of the religious fence you're on.
I'll have to watch it again and see if it becomes more apparent to me if they're trying to comment on something.
In today's movies, it seems like they're not into hidden symbolism as much as they used to be. Who knows....maybe the writer/director didn't even notice what might have been an underlying theme?

CathyA
2-22-13, 10:00am
oops

CathyA
2-22-13, 10:01am
Casey.....I found this article that agrees with you.
I'm not sure I agree with the assessment though.
http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2012/11/movies-flight.html#.USeGxjf-dBk

catherine
2-22-13, 10:13am
Casey.....I found this article that agrees with you.
I'm not sure I agree with the assessment though.
http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2012/11/movies-flight.html#.USeGxjf-dBk

I enjoyed the Media Nun's review. I particularly liked the bolded commentary AFTER the review which starts with this great quote by St. Ireneaus:


“The glory of God is the human person fully alive.”

Cool website.

CaseyMiller
2-22-13, 10:12pm
Casey.....I found this article that agrees with you.
I'm not sure I agree with the assessment though.
http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2012/11/movies-flight.html#.USeGxjf-dBk

Thank you for the link. Interesting, well written, review.

From the review: "--This is an overtly PRO-GOD film. God is a good guy. God is THE good guy."

I'm not so sure I agree with this. In fact, I think the message in the film could easily be interpreted that there is no god. I would have to say the film made believers portrayed in the movie look naive or fanatical. I wish there was more written on this.

CathyA
2-23-13, 8:46am
I agree with you CaseyMiller. The believers WERE portrayed as fanatical. That's why I'm wondering if the religious part was just showing another type of "addiction"? (or turning to whatever comforts you, whether its drugs, god, sex, etc.)
I'm sure that some people would agree with the review I posted, because it suits what they want to see.
But if this was what the picture was trying to convey, it didn't really hit its mark (at least in my opinion).
When the lawyer wanted to try to make it an act of god, I thought he was really reaching. I thought it would never be considered an act of god. It was an act of mechanical failure/weather, etc.
Who knows.......like I said earlier, maybe there was no real point to the religious stuff??
I guess we'll have to talk to the writers. :)

catherine
2-23-13, 9:25am
When the lawyer wanted to try to make it an act of god, I thought he was really reaching. I thought it would never be considered an act of god. It was an act of mechanical failure/weather, etc.


Cathy, I think the lawyer meant "act of god" in the legal sense, not the religious--just like sometimes your insurance won't cover you if an event is "an act of god." It just means humans didn't participate in the cause.

As far as all the other religious undertones, I think Zemeckis really only wanted to play up the universal redemption. I think he used some religious symbology as a means to that end, but I think digging deeper than that is over-thinking it, at least IMHO.

cattledog
2-23-13, 10:05am
I finally saw this movie last night. It was totally different than what I thought it would be. I was disappointed. I do love Denzel though. He's great in this.

CathyA
2-23-13, 11:01am
Yes catherine, I agree about the "act of god".......but some people are including that in the god-theme.
I tended to agree more with this opinion of it:
http://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/flight-review-a-ruinous-failure-of-expectation-versus-reality.php

CaseyMiller
2-23-13, 11:01am
The movie did an excellent job of making the audience sympathetic to the Captain's character. I really kind of wanted him to beat the charge but at the same time, he was flying while intoxicated and should do prison time.

I put the movie into a category of being really good that had the opportunity to be fantastic but didn't quiet get there.

CaseyMiller
2-23-13, 11:07am
Yes catherine, I agree about the "act of god".......but some people are including that in the god-theme.
I tended to agree more with this opinion of it:
http://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/flight-review-a-ruinous-failure-of-expectation-versus-reality.php

Decent review. From the review - "Ultimately, he (Whip) credits God and Alcoholics Anonymous for saving him."

I don't remember seeing him credit god for saving him. Perhaps I just missed it. Maybe I will go back and watch the end again.

CathyA
2-23-13, 1:02pm
I agree Casey........a good movie that could have been even better.