Sully
/"Everything is unprecedented until it happens for the first time."
Filmology Rating: 2.62 out of 4
On Jan. 15, 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) made an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River after Flight 1549 struck a flock of birds. Miraculously, all of the 155 passengers and crew survive the ordeal. Sully becomes a national hero in the eyes of the public and the media. However the airline starts an investigation that threatens to destroy his career and reputation. Did he actually make the right decision by landing on the Hudson or not?
Director Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks coming together to make a film…. You know it’s going to be good when these two are involved. (Please God let Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine find the fountain of youth.) Clint Eastwood has not only been a talented actor for the last 60 years, but he really has established himself as a very talented director as well bringing us Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven, and most recently American Sniper. This film is right up there in those categories in the quality of direction and suspense. Then we have Tom Hanks who is well, Tom Hanks. He is one of the best. Once again he delivers a powerful and spot on performance. Possible Oscar nominations out of Eastwood and Hanks??? It’s too soon to tell but they really were both fantastic. Aaron Eckhart is the other big name in Sully and he was a very solid actor as well. Both he and Hanks rocked some very solid mustaches…
Is this movie suspense thriller? Is it a drama? Yes to both of those and good ole director Clint Eastwood brought these events forth in a very interesting fashion. Sully felt like a documentary biography mystery almost. He doesn't give you all the events right away. Clint slowly brings the events that built up to everything to really keep you engaged and wondering what was going to happen. Yes we all know or have heard of what happened that day but this movie was shot as if nobody had and I loved that. Like I said, it felt like a biography because we really get into the mind of Sully. It felt like a documentary in how it showcased the timeframe and events that followed. It lastly nailed the suspense and the horror that everyone felt during these events. It really felt like you were in the plane with them.
One last thing that I’d like to say is that the driving theme behind Sully is that anyone can be a hero. Sully wasn’t a superhero with special abilities that allowed him to fly the plane to safety; instead he was just an average man that handled the pressure of these events really well and knew how to execute his job perfectly. Anyone can be a hero. I felt like this was portrayed beautifully through the writing and the acting of Tom Hanks.
Two criticisms would be that it does start a little slow. It takes a while to build and for some people, I think that they might already be tuned out and then won’t really give the rest of the movie a fair chance. Next is that I don't feel Sully has a rewatch value. Yes it is a really great movie but it is one that you will want to watch over and over, no. Not really a bad thing because Sully achieved exactly what it wanted and needed to but it’s just that kind of story. Overall a great story with some great acting and directing.
Rating: See It
-Nick
One key feature of any Clint Eastwood film is the adherence to traditional values. These values are not only expressed through Eastwood’s directing style, but also through the actions and beliefs of his protagonists. “Sully” hearkens back to previous Eastwood features like “Gran Torino” to focus on both traditional values and the goodwill of mankind as a whole.
“Sully” centers on the actions of Captain Chelsey Sullenberger (Sully) on one fateful day in January 2009. Based on the true story, “Sully” recounts Captain Sully’s decision to land his disabled plane on the Hudson River with 155 passengers on board. “Sully” not only recounts the harrowing event, but also the investigation that followed. Even a miraculous event such as this must be analyzed for potential wrongdoing.
“Sully’s” many parts strike a delicate balance. No specific performance or filmmaking choice really overshadows another. Tom Hanks turns in another excellent performance that is equal parts reserved and soulful. While Hanks is the only real key player in “Sully”, Aaron Eckhart does well with the material he is given. The actors and acting in the film serve solely as a vehicle with which to tell the story. Eastwood wisely decides to tell the story in a mostly non-linear fashion. “Sully” opens after the so called “Miracle on the Hudson” and switches briefly between a variety of time periods and perspectives. This narrative structure works well for the most part, but a few flashbacks to Sully’s early life feel very out of place. These flashback serve as small historical landmarks in Sully’s career as a pilot, but they don’t really add anything to the story or to Sully’s character. By either cutting these scenes or expanding them “Sully” may have felt like a more structurally tight film. Surprisingly, “Sully” manages to stay engaging even in long sequences of sole dialogue. Most of this is due solely to Tom Hanks acting ability and his “everyman” persona that he presents in many of his films.
The key to understanding “Sully” is an appreciations of Eastwood’s work as a director. Eastwood imbues nearly all of his films with a classic feel. While Eastwood may not take many risks when it comes to camerawork, music, or plot, he does pay careful attention to his characters and the way they affect the world. In an Eastwood film the protagonists project their values and the world reflects back. A film like “Gran Torino” centers on the traditional value of hard work and manliness. These values are reflected back by the local teenager Eastwood’s character befriends. Captain Sully projects his devotion to his work and protecting others and the city of New York responds in a similar fashion. Eastwood is at his best when he imbues his films with a message of inclusivity. One of my major issues with Eastwood’s previous film “American Sniper” was its lack of a positive social message. A film like “Sully” inspires a deep appreciation of the bond that holds individuals together, while a film like “American Sniper” inspired instances of division and Islamophobia. In the end, “Sully” is an inspiring film that will find few enemies among your average moviegoers.
Rating: See It
-Tyler