The Plot
On a cold January morning in 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) commanding US Airways flight 1549 makes an emergency landing on the Hudson River, when the plane he's flying develops sudden engine trouble. The landing saves the lives of all the passengers (155 in total) on board and is hailed as a miracle by the public and media but not everyone is convinced about Sully's tactics. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opens up an investigation on Sully and his first officer Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) to probe whether Sully actually considered the alternatives before taking the risk of landing on water. With mounting technical evidence against his decision, will Sully be able to vindicate himself in time before NTSB's judgement ends his career? Is Sully a real genius or someone who is way beyond his prime? Will the miracle of the Hudson River prove to be a major botch? Who is Sully? For the answers to all these questions you gotta watch Sully and trust me its worth every bit of your time.
The Fear
The phrase 'Based on a True Story' below a movie poster always sends chills down my spine. Real life stories which find their way to the movie screen usually tend to drown themselves in pathos or project mind numbing brutality which robs the audience of their peace of mind. I detest such movies with all my heart but Sully which is based on Capt. Chesley Sullenberger's real life experience is fortunately nothing of that sort. Sully also follows a non-linear pattern of story telling, another cinematic technique I abhor because of the confusion it wreaks on the audience. Sully luckily doesn't overuse this technique and the sudden flashbacks only serve to let us know the man Sully was and the circumstances behind his daring decision.
The Verdict
Sully exactly is cinema at it's finest. It's smart, simple, to the point and conveys a poignant message. The film could have easily been lost in the technical details surrounding an aircraft's malfunction but keeps the audience in it's mind and stays focused to end on a high note. It has terrific actors who slip into the skin of characters and tremendous star power in the form of Tom Hanks. Frankly there's no star in World Cinema who does as much for a role as Hanks does without yielding to the demands of stardom. I also tip my hat to Clint Eastwood, the director of the film who at 86 puts out a movie which directors a third of his age can't hope to match. I was a fan of Clint as an actor but I admire his direction much more now.
The Best Scene
All throughout the movie Tom Hank's Sully wears a stoic persona rarely prone to emotion. But all of that changes in the scene where Sully receives confirmation that all the passengers on board the flight were saved. This is the scene where Hank allows his eyes to do the talking. The eyes filled with moist emotion let you know how relieved he is to learn about everyone's safety. The scene is a master class in acting and probably the best scene in the movie according to me.
Finally
The world we live in is filled with inspirational stories where ordinary men take extraordinary measures for the greater good of human kind. Sully brings to life one such story and showcases the triumph of human instinct over the convoluted reasoning of technology. Sully was never intended to be the theme for my 40th post but after watching the movie I realized there's nothing sully about Sully and I really had to pen a movie review on it. Before I bid you good bye, I do have one question for you, when was last time you watched a good movie? If your definition of a good movie matches with whatever I've written above go watch Sully. It will hold your attention and reinvigorate your belief in the power of quality cinema. Rated Must Watch!
Until Next Time,
Your Movie Buff,
J.J. Chaitanya
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