Sully

It's a horror scenario that even an experienced pilot like Captain Sully Sullenberger isn't really prepared for. Several birds at once fly into the turbine of the plane, manned by 155 people on board, which is on approach to land in New York. In the gliding flight over the city of millions, Sullenberger has no time to steer the defective machine to one of the airports nearby. And so he dares the unbelievable: a water landing on the Hudson River. He actually succeeds in the risky maneuver, which is celebrated by the media as the Miracle on the Hudson. He, who saved 155 lives, is hailed as a hero - yet he faces incredible charges at the inquest that nearly ruined his reputation and career.

Director Clint Eastwood's latest drama Sully is a gripping take on the fascinating story surrounding the events of January 15, 2009, even if it's all talk for much of the surprisingly tight running time. The splashdown and subsequent rescue operation bring a smattering of action and thrills, but for much of the film the protracted investigation, media hype and the impact of it all on Captain Sullenberger dominate the proceedings. That this works and is so gripping despite some actually very dry scenes is not only due to Eastwood's commanding direction, but also to the usual great acting of Tom Hanks. He embodies particularly convincingly the change of the level-headed pilot, who still keeps his nerve in an extreme situation to a man who is plagued by (depressingly realized) nightmares and feelings of fear.

Of course, Eastwood could be accused of taking a somewhat one-sided view of the events following the botched landing on the Hudson River. The investigating commission is drawn in a somewhat too clichéd undercooled manner. But unfortunately, their actions, which may seem like one-dimensional black-and-white painting in the film, do correspond to reality. Commissions like this one are indeed primarily concerned with money. Would a different scenario have been possible to save the people, one where the plane could have been saved as well? Does the insurance company have to pay, or perhaps the captain should be held liable for the enormous costs after all? It's sad that such questions even have to be asked after such an almost superhuman feat with such a happy outcome - but that's just the reality of the situation.

And it is precisely from this that the film draws enormous potential for suspense. To see how spasmodically it is tried to prove that a landing at a nearby airport would still have been possible is really exciting and stirringly realized, despite some sequences that seem to repeat themselves several times. Eastwood also almost always hits the right tone, so the film never feels lurid. Greatly acted and atmospherically tightly directed, Sully tells a story as only real life can write it. And for this, with minimal point deductions for minor lengths, there is a very clear: Absolutely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp