Flight***

Robert Zemeckis directed this Drama. Watch Preview. Cast: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, Brian Geraghty, John Goodman, Tamara Tunie. Rated R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence. Running time is two hours and eighteen minutes.

A commercial airline pilot (Washington) pulls off a heroic feat of flying in a damaged plane, but is held up to the scrutiny of an investigation about his behavior the night before the doomed flight.

This  is an extremely well made film with an excellent cast but  don't mistake it for a pleasant night at the movies. Washington plays an alcoholic/cocaine addict who manages to function well under the influence. British actress Reilly does well as a heroin addict whom he meets while in the hospital (she also has a very convincing Southern accent). The first half hour concerns the doomed flight and Washington's miraculous landing of the plane. This is tense, edge of the seat action. But after that we go into his personal life and demons and the pace becomes far too slow. We  know from the beginning he has a problem—all the rest of the film is about how he's going to resolve it. It takes far too long for him to reach that decision. If this had been ninety minutes it would  have easily been a four star film. But, I'm afraid a lot of people are going to be very tired of his problems before the film is over.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen will provide more visual impact during the first half hour but is totally unnecessary for the rest of the film. Theatres/Times.