What would you do if everyone thought you were crazy? (Flightplan (DVD))

Member Name: rachelwestall

Product:	Flightplan (DVD)
Date:	06/02/09 (358 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good thriller that .....

Disadvantages: Could be more thrilling!

It's an extra day off work due to inclement weather (yup! the snow has driven us to stay indoors), so there is extra time to watch a movie that has been sitting in the cupboard for a while.

Flight Plan is a thriller directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Erika Christensen, and Sean Bean. It was released by Touchstone Pictures in 2005, and is apparently based on the classic film The Lady Vanishes, which had released 67 years earlier.

I am a bit of a wimp these days when it comes to watching films. Anything over a 12 rating and I have to sit near the door. If there is any hint of violence I am usually known to go and make a cup of tea! Don't get me wrong, I like a good action movie, I just find it hard to cope with the tension and violence. So was this movie too much for me? Did I have to spend the duration drinking earl grey or even worse a fruit tea?!

~The Plot~
Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster) is a propulsion engineer (whatever that is!) based in Berlin, Germany. Her husband David has tragically died from falling off building (did he jump or was he pushed?), and now Kyle and her six year-old daughter Julia (Marlene Lawston) are flying home to Long Island in the good old US of A, to bury him and stay with Kyle's parents.
The mother and daughter are flying aboard a fictional plane, which Kyle helped design. It is absolutely huge and the seats look very comfortable! After falling asleep for a few hours, Kyle wakes to find that Julia is missing. At first she remains calm as she wanders the plane looking for her daughter, after all there are plenty on places on this plane for an inquisitive 6 year old to explore. It is not too long however before she starts to panic, and Captain Marcus Rich (Sean Bean) is forced to conduct a search. Kyle walks the aisles, questioning people, but none of her fellow passengers remembers having seen her either. It soon becomes apparent that no-one on board believes she boarded the flight with a child. Shockingly, one of the flight attendants calls in to the airport they just departed from, and the gate attendant says that they have no record of Julia even boarding the flight. In addition, according to the passenger list, Julia's seat is registered empty. When Kyle checks for Julia's boarding pass, it is missing.
And so the drama unfolds. Will Kyle find her daughter, or is she just a grieving and delusional widow? You are certainly led to believe that she is CRAZY. After all what reason has anyone for taking a little girl on a plane?

~My thoughts~

I quite like Jodi Foster as an actress. I loved the original 'Freaky Friday' that she starred in as a child and have subsequently watched many films that have her cast in the leading role. In my younger and less nervy days I even watched 'Silence of the Lambs'. Foster, as always, injects her character with believability and she plays the distraught and anxious mother well.
I was drawn into the film quickly and the opening scenes tell of the family tragedy and the music only enhances the initial tension. (I did wonder if my nerves would last the length of the film).The plot moves quickly and we see Kyle flying her late husband's body back home on the commercial flight. The film continues on at a good pace which is great as it leaves the viewer free to switch their brain off and just enjoy the ride, without querying too much the script that even I found a little predictable.

However I did enjoy the film. It was a good solid movie and I didn't have to make one cup of tea. I was suitably anxious but not enough to send me running to the kettle! It's hard to say too much without giving they story away.

Would I recommend this film? Yes - I thought it was a good thriller with enough tension to keep me watching to the end. There were twists and turns that keep you involved in the plot.

I am only giving this 4 stars as I recognise that there could have been more thrills in this thriller!

~Other Stuff ~

Running Time -98 minutes
Certificate - 12
We bought this from Asda for £3 (Cheaper than renting)
Avaiable on Amazon for £5.98

Thank you for reading.

Summary: An enjoyable movie starring Jodie Foster.