Clint Eastwood seems to be becoming the “go to” guy for movies about American heroes. It’s certainly a fitting job for him. Not only is he an American icon himself, but his frank, no-nonsense directorial style makes his films incredibly palatable. Regardless of the controversy of American Sniper, it was a monster hit. With Sully, Eastwood seems to be mining a very similar formula. This time, he’s put Tom Hanks in the role of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Back in 2011, Sullenberger saved 155 lives by landing a plane in the Hudson River.
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Sully will certainly be no slouch in bringing that harrowing event to the screen. It is the first film to be shot almost entirely with IMAX Cameras, a format that Eastwood fell in love with during filming. The footage, while obviously not in IMAX yet certainly seems to reflect this. This is a beautifully crisp looking film, even in the more intimate scenes. What we do see of the crash sequence looks particularly amazing. The use of CGI seems very subtle, and there’s a palpable feeling of intensity that comes from getting such sweeping aerial shots.
However, the real surprise for me in this trailer is how solid the parts outside the plane look. The film seems to chronicle the investigation that took place after the fact, putting Sully on the hot seat for his hails marry decision. It has the feel of David Fincher’s The Social Network, questioning the ethics of a figure who undoubtedly did something amazing. As expected, Tom Hanks seems to be in full form here, always excelling in the role of an earnest man under fire. We also have Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney in supporting roles, who will undoubtedly do great work as well.
This is now one of my most anticipated films for the rest of the year.
Sully opens September 9th
