TC Candler's Review B-

"Panic Room" on a plane...

I am not sure that I have ever seen a more ludicrous and implausible plot in any of the 3000+ films I've seen that are meant to be based in reality.

Sure... we buy into ludicrous plots for sci-fi and fantasy and fairytale and animation... but Jodie Foster's "Flightplan" is meant to reflect a very possible situation.

It is entirely unbelievable... and yet, I bought it.

Up until the shocking twist, which I will not give away in this review and was unable to predict despite knowing that one existed, this thriller was intensely watchable and exciting.

Jodie Foster, who has done this role before in a better film called "Panic Room", is gripping in a tricky role -- One that borders on hysteria, sadness, grief & anger.

The set-up has Jodie Foster's daughter, played with solemnity by Marlene Lawston, disappear at 37,000ft on board a plane that Foster's character helped design.

The film follows her frantic chase, in the wake of her husband's recent death, to find her missing child and the lengths she will go to while forcing the crew to help her.

I will say that the final chapter of the film gets into dangerously ridiculous mode, if it wasn't there already. The orchestral manipulation of sentiment becomes unbearable at some points.

However, I forgave this film... although I am not quite sure how... because the set-up was taut and riveting and the twist was relatively unpredictable. Foster and the supporting cast are all solid despite some scenes that would have been hard to pull of with a straight face.

All in all, "Flightplan" is a decent thriller with a cheesy ending that will probably play better in a first viewing that in repeated ones. Too much thinking about this film will leave you chuckling at how silly it all is.

© Written by TC Candler

How We Rated This Film TC Candler - B- Richard Propes -     Jacob Hall -

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