Robert Zemeckis teams with Denzel Washingtton to deliver a fanttastic character drama, in a film whose first half hour is tensley crafted and perfectly sets up tthe character struggle for the rest of the film.

Washington is Whip Whitaker, an airline pilot who makes a miraculous landing, that involves inverting the plane. Some lives are lost, which will demand an investigation, and perhaps a scapegoat.

Despite the miraculous maneuver, Whitaker is a high functioning alcoholic, and also uses cocaine to ‘take the edge off.’

Following the crash, his life is thrown into upheaval, by his friend, and supplier, Harling Mays (John Goodman), a rocky romance with a recovering addict, Nicole (Kelly Reilly), and the investigation into the crash, partially overseen by his old friend, Charlie (Bruce Greenwood) and the airline’s lawyer, Hugh (Don Cheadle).

What follows can be tough watch as Whip struggles with his addiction, and fails a number of times, floundering just to survive, and striking out at anyone who atttemps to help, including his friends.

Zemeckis, usually known for his Spielberg-like films of wonder and adventure, leans into this dramatic ride. The crash is intense and fantastically crafted, and well within Zemeckis’ established wheelhouse, what I didn’t expect for him to handle as well was the dramatic character work on display.

Washington, as always, is a powerhouse, and makes Whip a powderkeg, always one spark from exploding, and it brings a tense edge to everything on the screen.

Reilly, who has since gone onto fame as Beth Dutton, is absolutely captivating here. As she is as Beth. She doesn’t try to match Washington’s presence, she meets it on her own ground, and holds her own againstt him witht her own power.

The film’s supporting cast helps Washington shine, and the he and the creative cast and crew elevate this beyond a simple sttory of alcoholism and addiction, and the need for change, redemption and growth.

This ends up being a powerful film, but not my favorite of Zemeckis’ films. This one, as powerful as it is, is not something I see myself watching more than once. It was a solid watch, an incredible watch, but I can’t put myself through the dark alcoholism that Washington portrays. There is redemption here, but it’s a dark road to hoe, and that makes the redemption more powerful, but it is also a film that puts its characters into very dark places.

A strong film, Washington is amazing, and Zemeckis a talented and creative director, Flight ends up being a powerful watch.