Movie Breakdown: Flight

People are doing traditional-style reviews all over the web, so we decided to try something different.  In each “breakdown” we’ll take a look at what a film’s marketing led us to believe, how the movie actually played, and then what we learned from it all.  Read on!

The Impression:

Robert Zemeckis returns to the world of live action film for the first time since Cast Away.  Denzel Washington plays a heroic pilot with a variety of personal issues.

The Reality:

Flight is not necessarily a bad movie.  It’s certainly well made, and the entire cast turns in solid work.  However, it is so oddly backwards when it comes to the emotional side of things.  There are so many scenes where you should be appalled with what Denzel Washington’s character is doing, but they’re presented in a way that’s very comical.  It’s bizarre, and because of the inverted (you’ll get this joke after seeing the film) approach to how the heavier moments of Flight are portrayed, you’re constantly left wondering what you should be thinking or feeling.  Is what the guy did wrong?  Are his addictions funny, sad, or normal?  I don’t have a clue, and I’m not sure the movie does either.

The Lesson:

Sometimes it’s important to take yourself seriously.