Cint Eastwood Brings Sully In For a Smooth Landing

A basic screenwriting tip is to start your screenplay on a special day. Clint Eastwood’s latest film “Sully” certainly does that.

“Sully” begins on January 15, 2009, the day a US Airways Flight 1549 was forced to make an emergency water landing on the Hudson River.

The film is set during the subsequent inquiry held by the National Transportation Safety Board into the forced landing.

Flashbacks are used heavily to depict important contextual events relevant to these hearings. The forced water landing along with important events in Captain ‘Sully’ Sullenberger’s flying career are primarily depicted through flashbacks and dream sequences.

“Sully” begins with the miraculous water landing that took place on the Hudson in January 2009. The film however, is truly about Sullenberger, the story’s title character and the captain of the fateful flight that resulted in the miraculous landing preserving the lives of all one hundred fifty five passengers on board.

While this isn’t one of Eastwood’s strongest films, that is less of slight against “Sully” but rather a statement of fact as to where the film stands within Clint Eastwood’s canon. “Sully” fits somewhere in the middle of the Academy Award winning filmmaker’s canon and is competent filmmaking with crisp pacing.

For a film that in many ways is procedural, the plot never gets bogged down. Because of the 96-minute runtime, “Sully” doesn’t suffer from having a thin story and of course the fact that most people are familiar with the story and its conclusion.

Tom Hanks plays the title role of Captain ‘Sully’ Sullenberger and his performance is bolstered by strong supporting performances from both Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney. Eckhart plays first officer Jeffery Skiles and Linney plays Sully’s wife, Lorraine Sullenberger.

Eckhart’s portrayal of Jeff Skiles provides the audience a point of view character that voices the awe and admiration the viewer feels for Sullenberger. Linney’s portrayal provides exposition that adds depth and context to the hero pilot.

The forced water landing of US Airways flight 1549 is like the shark in “Jaws.” The audience is only given teases of it until nearly three quarters of the way through the film. The landings cinematic depiction and the subsequent rescue of the crew and passengers is well worth the wait and it certainly carries the film.

The New York City police and ferry crews are as inspirational as Sully, himself. Unfortunately the New York accents border on caricature.

“Sully” depicts the best of New York and how quickly New York’s denizens rally whenever disaster strikes. In a post-9/11 world, scenes like this have a particularly strong narrative weight.

Death is inevitable and entropy is a universal constant. However, sometimes there are special days. Sully is a film about one of those special days, one of those special days— where everybody lives.

If IMAX is available near you, seeing Sully in the larger format is worth it if not for the water landing alone.

Don't let the silly title scare you off. A review of Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (Japan, 2015)

                Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (Japan, 2015) has recently had its U.S. theatrical release. Despite a U.S. live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlet Johansson due out in 2017 this latest feature film in the legendary cyber punk series has not received much press coverage state side. Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (Japan, 2015) is a prequel to the classic Ghost in the Shell (Japan, 1995). Despite being the third best film in the tetralogy it’s still worth it to check this film out especially if you’re a science fiction fan.

                In America the vast majority of animation is produced for a youth audience. In Japan animation produced for adults is just as popular as animation produced for children. Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (Japan, 2015) has some of the best action sequences of 2015. Adult fans of action films should not let the fact this film is animated stop them from enjoying the large set pieces and balletic gun play. In an era of CGI if you are watching a film with large action sequences and or set pieces you are most likely watching animation anyway.

                Some of the scenes feature animation that is truly a feast for the eyes. I screened the movie at a large Cineplex with a 4k digital projector and I’m certainly glad I didn’t wait for the DVD/Blu-Ray release of Ghost in the Shell: the New Movie (Japan, 2015).The animation being stylistically different from Pixar is refreshing. The animation style is reminiscent of Ghost in the Shell (Japan, 1995) but also draws influence from the latest Ghost in the Shell TV series (Arise).

                Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Japan, 2004) doesn’t have the same nostalgia as this latest iteration primarily because Motoko Kusanagi (“The Major”) doesn’t appear until the end of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Japan, 2004).  Returning to the cyber punk future of Ghost in the Shell is always fun and thanks to this iteration being a prequel we get to spend more time with the series most fascinating character (Kusanagi) as the protagonist.

                Instead of existential ideas dealing with what it means to be human Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (Japan, 2015) felt like it was exploring political and economic ideas as opposed to philosophical ones. The world building and mise en scene isn’t as strong as the previous two films.

                Since Ghost in the Shell (Japan, 1995) is a cyber punk classic  saying Ghost in the Shell: the New Movie (Japan, 2015) is not as good a film as the original doesn’t mean it’s not a solid film worth seeing. Don’t let the silly name scare you away and let your ghost leave your cyber brain and immerse yourself in

Ghost in the Shell: the New Movie (Japan, 2015).

RECOMMEND 

 3 out of 5 Motoko Kusanagi’s

  

    

The Martian (2015) review

                Ridley Scott occasionally strikes out from time to time but just like having a delicious bisque, future orders may not live up to your expectation but you keep ordering it because you know you might get something sublime.  Mr. Scott rewarded those who stuck with him by hitting a home run with his most recent film The Martian (2015). Ridley Scott has built his reputation on sci-fi world building and depicting the epic scope of a location/setting. The Martian (2015) has Mr. Scott certainly playing to his strong suits.

                In his latest outing Ridley Scott may not be a recreating the Roman Coliseum but he is still creating a vast epic world. The Setting/Landscape of Mars is imposing and its scale is very tangible to the audience. One couldn’t help but think of the John Ford westerns that had Monument Valley as their backdrop. Man vs. Nature and the imposing desolate power of Mars is made clear early in this film. Mat Damon’s Mark Watney sums up how he feels about the red giant when he says, “fuck mars.”

                Ridley Scott is known for his world building. He earned that reputation directing films like Blade Runner (1982), Alien (1979), and Gladiator (2000). He reasserts his reputation as one of Hollywood’s preeminent world builders in The Martian (2015). It’s not just the breathtaking exteriors of Mars but his depiction of the space program of the near future and the familiar yet futuristic tech. of the space program.

                The Martian (2015) is an action movie whose hero Mark Watney played by Matt Damon never fires a gun. The inhospitable Martian environment is Mark Watney's enemy and science is his weapon. Math and other sciencey type montages are kept relatively cinematic and definitely exiting. The film's variety of quirky scientists and astronauts help add levity and help break up the relentless struggle that Mark Watney has to endure while marooned on Mars.

                Despite Mat Damon doing most of the heavy lifting after all he is playing the titular Martian the supporting cast is sizable in both talent and numbers. Jeff Daniels, Benedict Wong, Michael Pena, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Donald Glover, Sebastian Stan, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all shine when they are on screen. Despite limited screen time the supporting cast is able to create distinct interesting characters.

                The Martian (2015) is a unique film. It’s a science-fiction film that both genre fans and non genre fans can appreciate and enjoy. It’s a thrilling action adventure romp yet there is no violence. Ridley Scott joins George Miller as a director who not only released one of the best films of his career in 2015 but he did so after 7 plus decades on planet Earth.Get stranded at your local cineplex for an hour or two and enjoy The Martian (2015).

RECOMMEND

4 out of 5 castawayed Tom Hanks’  

Official The Martian (2015) website