Flight (2012)

Flight offers a dual-sided view into the world of addiction, with the two vantage points forming an obviously contradictory image; however, as our story unfolds, a singular truth comes into focus through these lenses when overlaid.

Our lead character, Whip, performed by Denzel Washington, is a hapless pile of charm and recklessness. This is shown immediately, as he is seen waking up from a night of substance-laden festivities. Making matters worse, we see Whip pour vodka into orange juice before taking up his duties as a pilot.

For a drama, Flight contains a noticeably high octane sequence; the problems depicted in flight are highly convincing, as luggage and flight attendants are tossed about. The inversion of the plane was strikingly effective, as the audience finds themselves upside down along with the passengers. The strong intensity of the scene does not overwhelm the accompanying emotions; a flight attendant is told to say “I love you” to her child in the black box recording, which will tighten the chest of any parent watching. The sequence is important in establishing Whip’s extraordinary competence and coolness under pressure, despite his personal encumbrance.

Strong performances are found in Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, and Kelly Reilly, as they act as alcoholic, chaperone, and reforming drug addict respectively. The film pursues two truths about addiction: first, addicts can be highly functional, even capable of near supernatural feats such as Whip inverting and subsequently lowering the plane. But the second truth is more revealing: behind any semblance of control there remains an affliction with insidious cost and consequences.

Whip may be able to drive drunk; he may even be able to fly a plane high; but one reality remains: alcohol is in control of Whip and not the other way around. This aligns these two truths into the irrefutable fact that functionality is not control. This is most acutely seen in Whip’s loss of control, with the image of his hand swiping and clutching the bottle with conviction filling the screen.

The film offers a light-hearted last-minute sequence where Whip tries to sober up (with the aid of cocaine), but this is an intentional misdirect to give the film's conclusion profound power. Perhaps delivering his most notable performance in the film, Denzel Washington drunkenly slurs his way through the hearing that was meant to prove his innocence. Whip arrives at a final proclamation of responsibility as he admits to his present state of drunkenness.

The film delivers a complex view of addiction, centrally acknowledging that capability does not excuse addiction; it makes it worse. Whip's insistence on his own competence continually gets in the way of his recovery, making it easier to avoid responsibility until he can no longer run.

Flight is thoughtful in its discussion of addiction and never shies away from the hard truths, making it a powerful piece of drama and commentary.