Director Clint Eastwood
Genre Biography | Drama
Cast Tom Hanks, Anna Gunn, Aaron Eckhart, Sam Huntington
Rating PG-13
Release Date September 9th, 2016
“The story of Chesley Sullenberger, who became a hero after gliding his plane along the water in the Hudson River, saving all of his 155 passengers.”
Directed by the ageless and generally controversial Clint Eastwood, Sully is a drama based on true events. On January 15th 2009, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger made an emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River after US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of geese. Known as the “miracle on the Hudson”, the film proves that much of the story remained a mystery to the general public. Sully stars Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Valerie Mahaffey, and Delphi Harrington.
Sully is a finely crafted drama, allowing viewers the opportunity to experience the miraculous story of a man that more than deserves to be called a hero. Director Clint Eastwood implements his unique ability as a storyteller, allowing the events to unfold in a way that feels real and heartfelt. To me the film felt similar to Flight starring Denzel Washington, mainly due to the humanistic focus of the story as well as the many layers involved in terms of the event itself. Although Flight lacks the important “based on true events” aspect, I can’t help but acknowledge the fact that it left more of a lasting impression comparatively. Nonetheless, Sully is a well-made film that tells a special story.
Sully delivers incredible acting from top to bottom which proves to be a crucial component to the overall impact of the film. Tom Hanks yet again proves how dynamic he is as an actor and he steps seamlessly into the shoes of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. It is obvious how closely Hanks worked with Sullenberger to ensure he had his mannerisms and overall behaviors mimicked perfectly. Aaron Eckhart is exceptional in his role as co-pilot Jeff Skiles. Although it may be easy for some to underrate Eckhart’s performance in terms of how significant it was to the success of the film, I feel that would be a mistake. The chemistry between Hanks and Eckhart is a thing of beauty, simple as that.
Sully has been held in high regards by critics for good reason. It is quite simply a film that should be experienced by anyone who can appreciate a story of heroism in the face of unimaginable adversity. Although it is very much a powerful story with more than enough reason to clap once the credits appear on screen, I still expected more of a hard hitting film considering the man behind the camera. Still, Sully serves as a notch in Eastwood and Hank’s cap and should not be missed. Recommended.
