Flight 
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Kelly Reilly, Brian Geraghty, Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Rated: R
Run Time: 138 mins
Genre: Drama
Opens November 2nd
By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com
Phoenix Film Fans! If you have been looking for a hard-hitting drama, with a cast full of award winning actors, here's a movie for you. This week we checked out the new Robert Zemeckis film "Flight", starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle and Melissa Leo.
Veteran airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) never imagined that a simple flight from Tampa to Atlanta would result in a plane crash. He and one of the flight attendants from his crew had been partying the night before, and was still slightly inebriated that morning. To help with his hangover, he grabs some orange juice and vodka from the beverage cart for a hair of the dog remedy.
His co-pilot, Ken Evans ( Brian Geraghty) may not have as much experience as Whip but he notices the alcohol smell he is emitting. The flight takes off during a storm, which Whip navigates the plane through with ease. The rest of the flight should have been a smooth ride, until a few miles outside of Atlanta; the plane's equipment starts to fail and goes into a dive. Co-pilot Evans freaks out, waking Whip from his nap he was taking. Whip quickly, but calmly, puts the plane into an inverted state, leveling out the dive, gliding them into the crash site. Fortunately, the plane crashed into an open field where there was bystanders able to help until rescue services arrived.
The aftermath of the crash left 6 people dead, two of those being crew members. An investigation into the site will not only reveal that Whip had been drinking, but had other illegal substances in his system. While in the hospital, Whip meets a young woman, Nicole ( Kelly Reilly) whose overdose on heroine cost her a trip to the E.R. Recognizing the pain in Nicole that he feels himself, Whip promises to visit her when he gets out.
Even though people are calling him a hero, Whip knows he is in for some serious trouble. Long time friend and union rep, Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood) is standing by Whip, willing to get him the help he needs and through the investigation into the crash. He even hires hot-shot attorney Hugh Lang ( Don Cheadle) to bury the toxicology reports from the day of the crash. Will Whip be able to cover up his illness, his lies and alienate those who want to see him get better? Or will Whip continue to spiral out of control until he crashes and burns himself?
Denzel Washington in the role of alcoholic pilot Whip Whitaker, although a decent performance, is only made better by the supporting cast. Standout performances by John Goodman and Don Cheadle helped lighten some of the heavier moments of the film, moving the story forward. This film features drug use, some sexually explicit scenes and showcases the dark nature of alcoholism, not much of a family friendly film. Check it out when it opens in theaters nationwide Friday November 2, 2012.
