Sully
Sully
On 15 January 2009, the world witnessed the 'Miracle on the Hudson' when Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 souls aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and career.
匚卂尺ㄥ reviewedFebruary 20, 2025
This film, in the hands of a lesser Director or lead actor, could have been a schmalzfest. Thinking at the way this film might have been tackled by others, and the way these films were done in the past, I was really hesitant to watch it. The last plane crash film I sat through was the appalling 'Left Behind', with it's terrible acting, plot and special effects I feared the worst for this outing. But in this film, there were no unnecessarily long backstories on cast and crew, or two dimensional characters who you are supposed to root for, or boo such as the newly- wed couple, freckly precocious kid, selfish businessman etc. Thankfully, this version of this remarkable story, is told with a subtly different perspective, and whilst the actual ditching if the flight in the Hudson, is dealt with, and in forensic detail, the main thrust of the story is the aftermath. As usual, Tom Hanks puts in a compelling and utterly believable performance, and with Eastwood's firm hand on the direction tiller, this film is just great. It's odd, I remember the event, but had no idea how much the crew were put through the mill afterwards, so you can only commend the film- makers here, for bringing this appalling injustice to light. It is good to be reminded, from time to time, just how skilled and talented some of the professional people around us are, and how they deserve our thanks for the way that they can perform the extraordinary at times when no less than the extraordinary is required.