New Film Review: Sully

SULLY

Directed by Clint Eastwood
Screenplay by Tom Komarnicki
Based on the book by Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffery Zaslow
Starring Tom Hanks; Aaron Eckhart; Laura Linney; and Mike O'Malley

Well you know the story.
But what about the movie?

Well Tom Hanks.
Well Clint Eastwood.
Well Aaron Eckhart
Well Laura Linney.
How can it be bad.

Eastwood does a great job telling the story and using great timing. Telling the story in flashback was a brilliant idea. He has us wait for for the exciting part, the water landing!! We know it is coming. And....it is as exciting or as realistic or as scary as you would think it would be. Plus he shows a different angle of it at the end (No spoilers here as always).  Brilliant decision.
It is a wonderful  well acted story. I do not have much to say after that I mean you know the main story. What we did not see was behind the scenes.

There lies a small problem.
As you probably know going in if you remember the story.....Sully is not the most personable person and Hanks keeps him true to life. It does give Eckhart's character some lines to add levity. Still, it feels cold. Eastwood gives us some flashbacks of a younger Sully, to give us a glimpse of his personality, however that seems cold also.
Then you have Linney who, is doing most of her acting on the phone. I mean it's Laura freaking Linney, give us something!! A flashback of their relationship...something.
The most personality is O'Malley's character, and he is waaaaay to over the top as an angry NTSB Rep.. Why so angry? I have no idea.

Well, I do not want to steer you away from this film. It is an exciting moment of time. It puts you right in the middle of it. It just struggles a bit because beyond the Hudson there is not much of an exciting or interesting story there. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars for Sully. Stay through the credits...very touching. In fact I was going to give this film 4 stars but the credits almost gives the purpose of the film more feeling. So 4 1/2!!

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.