Flight Plan (Flightplan (DVD))

Member Name: kirstenc

Product:	Flightplan (DVD)
Date:	07/09/09 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Jodie Foster and Sean Bean, interesting story

Disadvantages: a few plot holes

After reading the incredibly mixed reviews for this movie, I decided to rewatch, and make my mind up about it, as I just hadnt decided what I thought, so I watched it for the first time in quite a while, and gave it my full attention.

I have to say that I really quite liked it...yes there are some huge plot holes (if i took my child on a plane, believe me, most people would notice!) and some quite serious data protection issues (the guys on the plane just randomly decided to call the morgue for information about their passenger?) but all in all, these were necessary in order for the story to run.

Jodie foster plays Kyle Pratt, a woman who ha just lost her husband to suicide. She has to face the prospect of moving back to America from Berlin, with her 6 year old daughter, who is also traumatised by the loss of her father.

On the plane, she discovers that her daughter is missing, and that no-one saw her board the plane with her, no documents etc. As the movie progresses, Kyle starts to doubt her own mind and sanity.

There is a pretty predictable twist at the end, although I didnt guess it until the director wanted me to guess, and while I knew there was something going on, I wasnt certain until a particular point, when all was made very clear.

Starting with Jodie, I think thet she was pretty average during the first, slow build up in the film, but as the story progresses, and she is given the opportunity to let loose a bit, I feel that she comes into her own a bit and starts to enjoy her role more. She seems more suited to the panicking, running around the place kind of role, than the calm, nervous woman she plays in the beginning.

Sean Bean is fantastic I think as the captain, making tough choices and being responsible for the lives and well being of hundreds of people, his strain is portrayed very well and I was disappointed that his character did not have abigger role. But then again, who would be flying the plane??

The other actors, even the air marshall, played byPeter Saarsgard, are average, certainly not poor, but there was nothing outstanding about the performances, just no spark really. Hard to put my finger on it.

It does start off very very slowly, but you can feel the pace building until, at the climax, everything is pretty frantic, possibly to draw you through the emotions of the character, who starts off very calm and placid, and ends up really really panicky, and frantic. The ending tapers off again, again seemingly more in line with teh lead characters emotions, and this is a well paced movie in that respect.

Filming scenes depicting an aeroplane, even a HUGE one, are difficult, and could prove difficult in giving any movement or depth, but it was very well done, there were many different facets to the shots from above, low angles, peeking through the passengers, from toilets etc and it actually gave the craft possibly more depth than a huge set, and all the chioces that it would give.

Despite being quite predicatable, and a slow starter, I did enjoy this movie, and watching the extras on the DVD gave me further appreciation as to exactly what went into it.

The making of featurettes totalled a viewing time of at least 30 minutes, and I thoroughly enjoyed them, well worth a peek if you buy the DVD.

Summary: pretty decent, recommended