Flightplan
Two Stars
by Norman Wilner, Zap2it.com
The problem with movies like "Flightplan" is that sooner or later they have to start explaining themselves. "Flightplan" sets up a suspense situation that is, quite literally, airtight: On a non-stop run from Berlin to New York, propulsion engineer Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster) loses her young daughter. Worse yet, no one seems to remember her ever being on board. Or even, you know, existing.
As Foster spends the first half of the picture growing increasingly hysterical -- with the same steely edge she displayed in her last locked-door, protective-mommy vehicle, "Panic Room" -- screenwriters Peter A. Dowling and Billy Ray play out every conceivable possibility, exploiting cliches about shifty passengers, undercover air marshals, cynical flight attendants and autocratic pilots.
It's very slick, and really quite engrossing, with nicely calibrated supporting performances from Sean Bean and Peter Sarsgaard, and director Robert Schwentke -- who made the atmospheric German thriller "Tattoo" a couple of years back -- staying closely focused on Foster's nervous energy as her mental state becomes increasingly questionable.
And then they blow it completely, deploying one unbelievable plot twist after another, sending the movie into a power dive of preposterousness for a final act that more or less assumes several principal characters are living with some kind of short-term memory impairment -- to say nothing of the audience.
Indeed, "Flightplan" stops working so dramatically that it winds up elevating last summer's other airborne-peril picture, Wes Craven's "Red Eye," to classic status simply because that film achieved its goals with professionalism and style, and never stretched credibility beyond its breaking point. "Flightplan," on the other hand, gets about a Mach 4 on the ridiculous scale.
Touchstone's enhanced-widescreen DVD supports the feature - presented with a choice of Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks -- with audio commentary by director Schwentke, an impressive look at the creation of the elaborate airplane set, and a 38-minute production documentary that will blow almost every single plot point if you watch it before you see the movie. So, you know, you've been warned.
