“FLIGHT” CHANGES COURSE

DENZEL WASHINGTON SOARS IN REDEMPTIVE REHAB DRAMA
FLIGHT
This is not the movie the poster and trailer hint at. When theater owner Steve Mason asked the audience of the Palm d’Or screening I attended: “Is this the movie you expected?” The packed house shouted as one voice, “No!” Screenwriter John Gatins, who was in attendance, was startled then laughed. This is not to say that the film was not fully involving, it’s just that the story that starts one way, becomes something else. The opening scenes: Denzel Washington’s in bed with a beautiful, naked, young woman (there will be a lot of Google hits for Nadine Veleazquez). Washington takes a call from an ex-wife who wants money, smokes dope, snorts coke, has a drink then dresses for work. We see he’s a pilot on his way to work! At the airport, we see the young woman he was with is an attendant on the flight. The plane takes off and pilot, Washington sneaks few more drinks during the flight, naps, then masterfully pilots the plane to a relatively safe crash landing after a harrowing mechanical malfunction. Only six deaths out of 102 passengers. But among the dead: Washington’s flight attendant girlfriend. That’s the set up. Act 1, if you will.

However,the rest of the movie barely spends time on the crash investigation itself, but rather on the question of Washington’s not-so-secret, self-deluding addiction and his tentative relationship with a junkie (Kelly Reilly) who has hit bottom. Washington’s uncanny skill at flying while drunk is barely dealt with. And it’s clear he did not cause the crash – even if drunk. So there’s not much suspense, and in fact we are hardly even rooting for Washington. We’re just curious how he’s going to self-destruct. And that’s not enough to carry a movie or a story.

The high point of the film is certainly the extended crash sequence. It’s the money shot and probably worth the price of admittance. It’s gut wrenching, unnerving and beautifully crafted. I especially liked the cell-phone footage of the actual impact over a Georgia pond where a Black congregation’s having a baptismal service. That metaphorical bit was brilliant and utterly convincing. Nice touch having the church steeple partially sheered off by the plane’s tail.

Director Robert Zemeckis is a visual FX genius, but his first live-action film since 2000 is in reality a modest ($31 million budget) personal story about a man who refuses to recognize his condition. He just happens to be a pilot. Although Hollywood melodrama reins supreme here, all the actors are terrific. Don Cheadle is a cool amoral snake of a lawyer and John Goodman is surreal as the bigger than life, loud, oblivious long-time friend and dope dealer to Washington’s multiple addictions.

Watching the film, I was reminded of other similar movies like THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY, THE LOST WEEKEND, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, and even CLEAN AND SOBER. Trouble is, I shouldn’t be thinking about other films. Screenwriter Gatin spoke of his days as an alcoholic and clearly this movie is about the redemption that is possible even when we take flight from our addictions and see death up close. On that level, it’s effective and heartfelt. And Washington’s performance maybe the best of his career. Starts Friday, November 1, at Cinemas Palme d’Or.
NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER

RUBY SPARKS
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the married team responsible for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, follow up their 2006 hit with a less than satisfying vanity production about a lonely writer (Paul Dano) who literally conjures up a girlfriend (Zoe Kazan) who will do anything he writes, only to finally realize it’s not what he really wants. Dano and Kazan are a real-life couple and Kazan wrote the screenplay for the two of them. Kazan is a find. She illuminates every frame in which she appears, but the too long, repetitive movie finally disappoints — and is a constant reminder of the much superior STRANGER THAN FICTION. 20th Century Fox. Blu-ray.

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED
I loved this unusual indie sci-fi comedy drama about a trio of reporters from a Pacific Northwest regional magazine who investigate an unusual classified advertisement. At first, it’s a tad slow-going, but when the story gets in gear, it’s winning and rewarding. The shifting relationships of the two intern reporters, especially the female (Aubrey Plaza) with the strange guy (Mark Duplass) who placed the time-travel ad pays off emotionally — especially the more we find out their personal needs, the issues at play and what’s really at stake. I did not expect the ending — and loved it. The disc includes a short featurette about the actual ad on which the movie is based. Sony. Blu-ray.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK: The Masterpiece Collection
Universal has found yet another way to repackage the films from the best director who ever worked for the studio. Here are classics that continue to deliver thrills, chills and dark comedy over repeated viewings. New hi-def transfers and restoration make the best titles a pure joy to see again. The collection includes these world-class gems: NORTH BY NORTHWEST, PSYCHO, SABOTEUR, SHADOW OF A DOUBT, REAR WINDOW, VERTIGO and THE BIRDS. Also part of the set are these lesser, but still engaging productions: FRENZY, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, TORN CURTAIN, TOPAZ, ROPE, MARNIE, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH and the disappointing but cleverly titled FAMILY PLOT. The discs are loaded with bonus features and there’s a 50-page book with cool behind the scenes info. Universal. Blu-ray.