Clint Eastwood’s thrilling, visual depiction of “Highest Duty,” written by Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeffery Zaslow, portrays the emotional gravity of an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances.
"Mystic River", "Million Dollar Baby" and "Gran Torino" have a realistic, gritty nature present in the film, but the new addition to Eastwood’s repertoire delves deeper into the mind of Capt. Sullenberger to maintain an emotional play-by-play account of the events.
At the beginning, Tom Hank’s portrayal of the pilot seemed over dramatic, balancing the fine line of “it’s hard to be a hero” motif and common relatability, but Hanks excels in the roles as seen by his previous performances "Captain Phillips" and "Apollo 13".
On the other hand, Hanks expressions complimented Sullenberger’s post traumatic visions of disaster adding a thrill to the uneasy tension felt until the last act of the narrative.
The film has a few troubling instances of a possible conservative bias.
To sustain an intimate connection, filmmakers and screenwriters avoid using the press to carry the narrative, but with his endless pursuit to present the facts, Eastwood establishes connectivity with characters compared to defining events in the narrative.
The demonization of the airline investigator's cold stares and dismissive actions created a dramatic, but unnecessary bias.
Objectivity may not be Eastwood’s strongest suit, but placing the audience in Capt. Sullenberger’s shoes is epic as the heroic landing in the Hudson.
Eastwood picks specific stories from police responder36s, flight attendants, Capt. Sullenberger’s family and passengers providing colorful descriptions of New Yorker tenacity.
A good film narrates the facts, but a great film maintains a truthful respect for the characters. A great film to put on our watchlist.
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