A pilot transports an Air Marshal accompanying a fugitive to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem.
Chuck says:
Far better than it has a right to be, Mel Gibson’s “Flight Risk” is the sort of movie that would have played on the bottom half of a double bill during the 1950’s. Simple and quick, these features didn’t tax your brain. They were made quickly, on the cheap, their sole purpose to entertain, logic be damned. Populated by the likes of John Agar, Kenneth Tobey, Julie Adams and Lizabeth Scott, these B-Movies were buoyed by melodrama, many of the viewers aware none of what they were seeing was to be taken seriously.
Cut from the same cloth, “Flight” is a collection of cliches that plays much better than it should. Elevated by committed performances from its cast, its snappy sense of pace keeps you from questioning the logic of it all. That being said, Jared Rosenberg’s script is smart in the way it answers the many nagging questions its premise is freighted with, though it can’t avoid some third-act developments that should be taken with a grain of salt.
Madolyn (Michelle Dockery) is an Air Marshall with something to prove. After having had an assignment go horribly sideways, she’s been given the chance to redeem herself. She’s been assigned to track down Winston (Topher Grace), an accountant with information that could put a mob boss named Moretti behind bars. She tracks him down in, of all places, the wilds of Alaska and before you can say “Let’s make a deal,” the numbers-cruncher decides to cut a deal with the Feds.
However, the problem is he needs to be in New York in less than 48 hours to testify or his ex-boss walks. As a result, Madolyn is forced to hire a bush pilot, Daryl (Mark Whalberg), to fly them back to civilization. The agent realizes something’s amiss from the start and she’s proven right when her hired hand attacks her and tries to kill Winston. Seems Moretti’s reach extends beyond the Big Apple.
What plays out is essentially a chamber play in the air, the three principals confined in the flying death trap, Madolyn ultimately forced to pilot the plane once Daryl is contained. Along the way, her as well as Winston’s backgrounds are revealed, the two performers committed turns helping these familiar stories seem fresh.
Dockery is put through the ringer, both physically and emotionally. As Madolyn’s hardened exterior begins to crack, the actress conveys a sense of vulnerability that only makes her ensuing displays of tenacity and strength more impressive. Meanwhile, Grace is playing a variation of a role he’s honed to perfection over the years. Unctuous and cowardly, the actor manages to ease the tension with much-needed levity throughout. As their situation becomes increasingly dire, Winston long-suppressed sense of morality comes to the fore, a believable change due to Grace’s sincere approach.
As for Whalberg, he’s having a good time, rending the interior of their small setting with an over-the-top performance that’s great fun to watch. Sporting a good ole boy persona, his overbearing personality is repelent from the start, only getting worse as Daryl’s true nature is revealed. Whalberg understands the assignment, giving us a villain we love to hate.
A couple of lapses in logic mar the finale but give Rosenberg and Gibson credit for wrapping things up quickly. In the hands of so many contemporary directors, this would have become a bloated, redundant actioner that would have overstayed its welcome. As it is, “Flight” is tightly rendered piece of popcorn entertainment that delivers the sort of thrills that are enjoyed in the moment, forgotten by the time you get to the parking lot.
3 Stars
