Sully movie review

Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks bring the reluctant hero of Hudson miracle to life

Tom Hanks-starrer Sully is in theatres this week. Will the film be able to make an impact on the box office in India? Here's our Sully movie review.
Cast: Tom Hanks,
Direction: Clint Eastwood

Rating:4 Star Rating: Recommended4 Star Rating: Recommended4 Star Rating: Recommended(3/5)
It's hard not to see Sully as one part autobiographical for director Clint Eastwood. In the film, an experienced professional in a line of work for more than four decades is questioned on the basis of his decisions taken in a span of 208 seconds, even as computer simulations suggest he could have done things differently. The professional chooses to rely on experience and instinct, quite stubbornly too. Compare that to Eastwood, who is still making films in a career spanning more than six decades, surrounded by superhero mumbo-jumbo and people emphasising the importance of computer-generated VFX. However, Eastwood is more interested in the human beings in his story.

Sully is the story of Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger (played by Tom Hanks) and First Officer Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart), as they were forced to land on the Hudson river after multiple bird strikes caused the US Airways 1549 to lose both its engines shortly after take-off from the La Guardia airport on January 15, 2009. Had the captain actually put all the 155 passengers and crew at risk by attempting this miraculous forced landing? Could he have made it back to either of the two airports in the vicinity despite losing both engines? That's what the movie attempts to find out.

Eastwood understands the trappings of a Hollywood film, even while re-telling amazing survival stories like these almost necessitate painting their protagonists as all-American heroes. The director and lead actor Tom Hanks are more interested in the tumultuous aftermath of the accident which included an NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigation, threatening to end Sully's career as a pilot. Hanks's character is asked by a reporter how landing on the Hudson was the big IF. And Hanks is simply unable to explain his instincts to the reporter.

There's but one dramatic moment in the film where you see Tom Hanks follow the popular definition of 'acting'. He's being examined by a medical professional, and a member of the Aviation Union walks in and mouths the number 155. Hanks, all this while maintaining a face of concern and constant worry, lets out a half-gasp, eyes welled up. After the 'miracle', this is the first confirmation that ALL passengers were safe and accounted for.

The film benefits from a strong central performance from Tom Hanks. After top-notch performances in Captain Philips and Bridge of Spies, Hanks reminds us why he is the best in the business. We forget Hanks the actor and see only Sully making decisions he has to live with. Hanks brings all the humanity in the character, unsure of what he pulled off, as he keeps a sombre expression even as everyone lauds him as a hero. He is more interested in knowing if he did his job, or if he put his passengers and crew at risk.

Clint Eastwood shows flair as he films the water landing in IMAX cameras, putting his audience right in the middle of the action. The audience skips a heartbeat as the instruction 'Brace for impact!' is announced from the cockpit. The story-telling is largely unsentimental, which could give some the expression that the director and actor don't exploit the warmth of a story like this. However, there's a difference in not caring and choosing not to be heavy-handed. Eastwood realises how remarkable the story already is, and that it doesn't need gloss over it. Another professional right there, who did his job.

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