November 2, 2012 in GENRES
FLIGHT
RYAN: This is the new movie from my favorite director, Robert Zemeckis, who did some of the best movies ever including one of my very favorite films, Contact.
CAROLINE: I know you love that. And this is his first live action film after a couple animated. How was it?
RYAN: Brilliant on so many levels! He is such a cinematic genius. Every ounce of his films tells the story. He’s so rich in detail. Every costume, prop, set piece, shot, edit… all adds to the layering of the stories told in his films. And Flight is another masterpiece. It’s riveting.
CAROLINE: So break it down for me.
RYAN: It’s heavy. It’s a story about addiction and while I don’t personally identify, I know people who do. I’ve heard personal stories but this movie touches deeply. You become emotionally involved and can almost feel the struggle Denzel’s character goes through. It really helps you understand it from the inside perspective.
CAROLINE: The power of film! How is he?
RYAN: It’s his best performance. He’s crazy good in this movie.
CAROLINE: What about the plane scene? Will you ever fly again?
RYAN: Seriously, I don’t want to! It’s scary. This movie should be required viewing for every pilot; and driver, for that matter.
CAROLINE: Yeah that would be something… entertaining and educational.
RYAN: And cautionary. There are so many things that Zemeckis does brilliantly in film and one of them is the use of music and scoring. The piece of music and first appearance of John Goodman in this movie is priceless. I lit’rally laughed out loud.
CAROLINE: I love moments like that.
RYAN: There are many intense dramatic moments, courtesy of great writing fantastic performances. There’s this one stairwell conversation with this unknown actor named James Badge Dale who plays a cancer patient that still stands out to me. He has one scene but should get a supporting actor nomination. It’s deep.
CAROLINE: Now I have to see this to be clued in!
RYAN: Exactly. The leading actress, Kelly Reilly, is sort of Jessica Chastain-light. I was kinda hoping it had been her for the first half of the movie but she really nails the performance so I’m glad of it.
CAROLINE: She’s British. How was her accent.
RYAN: Great. You wouldn’t know. There are so many thematic issues in this movie, between addition, relationships, ethics, honesty with oneself and others… it’s really interesting and certainly the kind of movie that’s fun to discuss with friends after seeing it.
CAROLINE: I love that. You saw this with your movie club. What was the consensus?
RYAN: Everybody agrees it’s worth it on the big screen.
CAROLINE: Very cool.
RYAN: It gets the RJMC Seal of Approval!
