Despite Tom Hanks’ best efforts Clint Eastwood’s Sully just doesn’t really cut the mustard
This film may well be lost on a British audience as we do not have the same emotional attachment to the story
I’LL wager Sully will barely register on the memories of us Brits without it being immediately followed by: “Y’know . . . the pilot who landed a plane on the Hudson River.”
Do we Brits have the same emotional attachment to this story as our Stateside cousins? Somehow I doubt it – that’s the problem. Compared to other disaster/hero movies of its ilk, this is a bit . . . meh.
The main issue is that, regardless of the heroics of the five minutes of terrifying decision-making Sully had to go through that day, this screenplay is a masterclass in stretching an elastic band to the moon.
Captain Chesley Sullenberger is a stand-up kind of guy who did a very brave thing, saved lives and almost got a rollocking for it.
In a nutshell, that’s yer movie.
It’s testament to Clint Eastwood’s eye for tension, Tom Hanks and yet another sterling support performance from Aaron Eckhart that this is as good as it is.
★★★☆☆
RELATED STORIES
Moana (PG) 113mins
This delightful animation really sees Disney find it’s non-Pixar groove, striking the perfect balance between wide-eyed awe, memorable songs and giggles aplenty.
Talk of this being the best thing since Frozen are a bit off, though – it’s arguably a lot better.
Our star is a feisty teen who, against her family’s wishes, sets sail across dangerous seas to save her fellow islanders from a worrying future.
Her quest is to touch base with missing demigod, Maui (played by The Rock) and together return some valuable artefacts to their rightful home. Naturally, it entails scary monsters, dangerous obstacles and lots of self-discovery.
The characters are top-notch, the songs are fantastic (is there really a chance The Rock could sing You’re Welcome at next year’s Oscars?) and it introduces the best sidekick since Jiminy Cricket in the form of an idiotic cockerel.
Truly wonderful stuff. If you don’t enjoy this, I’d check your pulse as your heart must be missing.
★★★★☆
The Edge of Seventeen (15) 104 mins
No one has really nailed coming-of-age films for the millennials – until now.
This is a well-written, brilliantly acted low budget drama comedy about Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) – a selfish teen with more difficult questions than she has trainers.
Dealt a cruel blow at a really cruel age, she faces an uphill struggle to find her place in life. Steinfeld is fantastic, Woody Harrelson is perfectly understated as her teacher and Kyra Sedgwick gives as good as she gets as her long-suffering mother.
A touching, honest and funny film, showing how miserable growing up can be and how, often, the only way of dealing with it is to shrug your shoulders, flip it the middle finger and walk off laughing.
★★★★☆