‘Sully’ – Review

Hollywood legends Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks explore the depths of one man’s personal heroism in the face of an extraordinary event, mounting media pressure, and a public who want answers, in the true life story of American aviator and ‘Hero of the Hudson’ Chesley Sullenberger in Sully.

In Sully Eastwood presents audiences with a beautifully crafted piece of cinema that follows an everyman who finds himself branded as a hero. Hanks masterfully portrays Sullenberger as a regular guy, but one who possesses great courage, conviction and a strong moral compass to do the right thing. While Sully definitely feels every ounce of pressure that is placed on him, he never waivers in his responsibility and duty to his job. Hanks’ calibre as a performer has never been questioned, and in the role of Sully, he really pulls off something amazing.

Paired with Hanks’ gripping performance as the heroic captain is Eastwood’s handling of the subject matter, which examines themes of procedure. While audiences do get to see the extraordinary crash landing that made Sully famous, the film extensively revolves around the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), to determine Sully’s competency. The standoff between Sully and Aaron Eckhardt’s First Officer Jeffrey Skiles with the NTSB creates some highly enjoyable drama, and its here that these two actors really shine. The crash itself is a pulse-pounding sequence, and Eastwood really takes audiences through the motions, keeping them at the edge of their seats.

Two of Hollywood’s best have again proved their considerable talent with this amazing tale of split second heroism, and Sully will no doubt be on Oscar voters mind’s next year.

Image: Roadshow Films