Sully

From the trailer itself it was clear that Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood is a movie that focuses mainly on the after struggle of the pilot who rescued 155 people on board by landing the plane on the Hudson River. It is quite a tough task to maneuver the audience through the tricky confused phase of a man’s mind and show us his anxiety. But with the help of stunning visual effects and sensible sentiments Eastwood delivers a movie that grabs your attention.

Chesley Sullenberger aka Sully is this pilot who has 40 years + experience in aviation. The flight 1549 which took off from LaGuardia airport faces dual engine failure at a very lower altitude and Sully along with first officer Jeff had to take a crucial decision and they decided to do a water landing on the Hudson. While the aftermath gave Sully a superhero image in the public, there was this mandatory investigation which had people suspecting the error in judgment made by Sully. How Sully goes through that phase of his life and how he eventually surpasses all the odds is what this Tom Hanks starrer showing us.

As it is a real life incident, there is no suspense or twist here to entertain you like a commercial movie. The movie’s basic aim is to show the audience the gravity of the situation and also the timely decision making of the captain. Clint Eastwood invests the best in showing us that part of the incident. The movie Sully is based on an occasion that had a plane getting crashed and a good thing about this film is that it isn’t a visual effects set piece driven drama. Eastwood adds the plane in to realistic frames which are quite normal looking. The opening scene and another scene where we see Sully imagining a possible crash etc. helps the movie in conveying the viewers about the courage and presence of mind the pilot showed within a span of seconds.

Tom Hanks easily transforms in to that mature pilot. The portrayal needed a mix of showing experience and also the tension of facing something that was never imagined before and Hanks was spot on. Aaron Ekchart did the role of Jeff pretty neatly.

Clint Eastwood has kept the whole film in an engaging level. The screenplay is layered in such a way that even after knowing the story, you will have that curiosity to know how he will tackle it. The only problem with the movie is also probably that. The obstacle in front of him to prove that his judgment was correct wasn’t strong enough. Yes, I did like the way they effectively proved how computer simulations can’t be considered as authentic proofs to have precise conclusions. But still the lack of a solid conflict was evident. And the priority given to the evacuation phase was also slightly less. Cinematography was really good. The visual effects were fantastic and the cuts were precise.

All real life stories may not necessarily have that complete cinematic charm to its credit. But even within that limitation, Clint Eastwood manages to pitch that story in a very convincing way. Sully is worth a watch for sure.

Rating : 3.5/5