 "Eastwood, Hanks pilot <I>Sully</I> to the top")
On a frosty New York afternoon in January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from the LaGuardia Airport for Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. But fate, or rather a flock of birds, had other plans. About three minutes in, a flock of Canadian geese struck the plane andit lost powers in both its engines. The pilot, Chesley Sullenberger along with first officer Jeffrey B Skiles, were now left deciding whether to turn back to LaGuardia or go to the nearby Teterboro Airport. And 208 seconds were all they had to make a decision. Just then Sullenberger, or Sully as he was called, took a decision that would become front page news the next day. He decided to land the aircraft on the icy Hudson river. His decision, though unconventional, helped everyone aboard leave unscathed. He became a hero and his landing came to be known as the "Miracle on the Hudson".
But how, you'd think, can someone use those 208 seconds and turn it into a full-length feature film? You see Clint Eastwood-directed Sully is not a film about the landing, rather what happened after it. It's an untold story, so to say. And since, "untold story" is the ongoing trend in showbiz, why should Sully stay behind.
This time around, Eastwood has found his muse in Tom Hanks, who plays the titular role of Sullenberger. Hanks is supported by Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney in lead roles.
The film revolves around the investigation that followed the landing. The National Transportation Safety Board grills and prods both Sully and Skiles (Eckhart), unwilling to believe that the landing was imperative for everyone's safety. The showdown between the board and the pilots comes off as irascible.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Eastwood, like an adroit craftsman, interweaves the investigation and Sully's state of mind. Though the scenes shared with Linney (who plays his wife) are drab, Eastwood efficaciously grabs your attention with the horrific dreams Sully is plagued with post the incident. Dreams of him taking an alternative decision that leads to the demise of everyone on board. Of course, it's a well-known fact that Hanks has the acting chops. But the sequences of him battling his demons also say a great deal about the director. Eastwood is known for his no-nonsense filmmaking, and Sully is a fine example. He flits back and forth, from flashbacks to present day, effortlessly. The film is smooth and the scenes flow into each other with such ease that it feels almost mellifluous.
If you're acquainted with Eastwood's directorial work (Million Dollar Baby and the recent American Sniper), then you'd know that his films carry a common theme: Heroism. The 'hero' in Eastwood's films need not be a metahuman or a vigilante. He could be a John Doe, going about his monotonous life but one act of compassion lifts him to the heroic pedestal. That's what Sully is - it's a hero's account.
As for Hanks as the titular hero, no one else could have done it better. Talking about Hanks' (who has films such as Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan and Captain Phillips under his belt) acting prowess is like saying the sky is blue. Nevertheless, I shall try. He slips into the silver-haired (and mustachioed) character's mould with utmost dedication and it's hard to spot where the character ends and the actor begins. Hanks portrays Sully, the hero in everyone's eyes but his own, ably and judiciously. The scenes where he's tormented by his recurring nightmares are so mesmerising that it goes to show why Eastwood chose Hanks.
Hanks has the ability to carry an entire film on his own, no matter how good or bad the plot is. But Eckhart's Jeffrey Skiles is also worth mentioning. Playing a sturdy Skiles, Eckhart makes his presence known with his unwavering support and loyalty towards Sully. The scenes Hanks shares with Eckhart don't feel stretched out, unlike those with Linney.
Sully might not be Eastwood or Hanks's best work but it's sure to reverberate with you on your drive back home.
But how, you'd think, can someone use those 208 seconds and turn it into a full-length feature film? You see Clint Eastwood-directed Sully is not a film about the landing, rather what happened after it. It's an untold story, so to say. And since, "untold story" is the ongoing trend in showbiz, why should Sully stay behind.
This time around, Eastwood has found his muse in Tom Hanks, who plays the titular role of Sullenberger. Hanks is supported by Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney in lead roles.
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But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Eastwood, like an adroit craftsman, interweaves the investigation and Sully's state of mind. Though the scenes shared with Linney (who plays his wife) are drab, Eastwood efficaciously grabs your attention with the horrific dreams Sully is plagued with post the incident. Dreams of him taking an alternative decision that leads to the demise of everyone on board. Of course, it's a well-known fact that Hanks has the acting chops. But the sequences of him battling his demons also say a great deal about the director. Eastwood is known for his no-nonsense filmmaking, and Sully is a fine example. He flits back and forth, from flashbacks to present day, effortlessly. The film is smooth and the scenes flow into each other with such ease that it feels almost mellifluous.
If you're acquainted with Eastwood's directorial work (Million Dollar Baby and the recent American Sniper), then you'd know that his films carry a common theme: Heroism. The 'hero' in Eastwood's films need not be a metahuman or a vigilante. He could be a John Doe, going about his monotonous life but one act of compassion lifts him to the heroic pedestal. That's what Sully is - it's a hero's account.
As for Hanks as the titular hero, no one else could have done it better. Talking about Hanks' (who has films such as Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan and Captain Phillips under his belt) acting prowess is like saying the sky is blue. Nevertheless, I shall try. He slips into the silver-haired (and mustachioed) character's mould with utmost dedication and it's hard to spot where the character ends and the actor begins. Hanks portrays Sully, the hero in everyone's eyes but his own, ably and judiciously. The scenes where he's tormented by his recurring nightmares are so mesmerising that it goes to show why Eastwood chose Hanks.
Hanks has the ability to carry an entire film on his own, no matter how good or bad the plot is. But Eckhart's Jeffrey Skiles is also worth mentioning. Playing a sturdy Skiles, Eckhart makes his presence known with his unwavering support and loyalty towards Sully. The scenes Hanks shares with Eckhart don't feel stretched out, unlike those with Linney.
Sully might not be Eastwood or Hanks's best work but it's sure to reverberate with you on your drive back home.