Life in Flight

19 January 2012. Not since Closer (2004) has a movie presented the dynamics of human relationships. With Life in Flight, it is both more simple and less intensely dramatic and polished, yet at the same time it is more subtle and in some ways more authentic in its depiction and resonating of real life though it comes off with less energy and compelling appeal. It's depiction and presentation style is more in line with Lars and the Real Girl (2007) though addressing different familial subject matter. In some ways there's a bit of the self-reflective element of Anne Hathaway's character as found in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and the existential dilemma as found in Sliding Doors (1998) which in that movie's case was even more imaginatively done as more captivating. Nor does Life in Flight have the sharpness and singular dramatic crisp bite of American Beauty (2000) nor Shopgirl (2005). Nevertheless, Life in Flight has a substantive quality pertinent to contemporary life and provokes valuable reflection on living in today's world.

Saw this at Tribeca Film Festival and was surprised by the wretched writing. The cast is professional, and the photography, set and production design are all first class. The problem is a script that presents a somewhat dopey male lead, an unredeemable monster (b*tch) of a wife, and a seven-year-itch scenario.

The result is good actors reciting bad lines in overwrought scenes. We bought these tickets expecting that a cast including Patrick Wilson, Amy Smart and several other fine actors would deliver a good result. Tied to that script, they couldn't stay afloat.

The movie inspires me to create a new rule for young filmmakers: don't write a script with an architect as your main character, unless you are remaking "The Fountainhead." And don't remake "The Fountainhead."

It was great seeing the locations around NYC, but it was a seriously boring, going nowhere, total disaster of a movie.

How the talented cast said the words, deserves some appreciation, but the film said nothing, and never had an iota of cleverness, or humor.

It seemed more like a film school project, then an actual film.

How Patrick Wilson and Amy Smart got to star in this, is a bigger mystery and more thought-provoking then the actual movie.

Anyone who grew up in NYC, and has been away for a while, might be able to enjoy the various places the film was shot, but, there's many better films to watch.

A truly terrible script that can't be saved by even a very good actor such as Patrick Wilson. All the other acting is pretty mediocre.

Life is good, if it's really is. Being successful can be a plus or a minus. Here you got a designer who is married, successful, yet something was missing in his life: Happiness. This man has a wife who takes care of their son happens to be a follower rather than a supporter. At his job site he meets a beautiful woman who not only helps him out with his business, she helps him out on life. He takes heed of her words, especially about the birds flying in a certain direction. It turns out that his life isn't all he wanted to be. His wife was more of a go-getter and crowd pleaser, satisfying her needs instead of asking her husband how he feels about it. It was not a good marriage from the get-go, being materialistic and non-communicative, that can destroy a marriage. But the more understanding woman who took a job in the West Coast, automatically got homesick already. Both of those people have suffered similar consequences. Successfullness can be a plus or a minus in you life. Being steadfast is necessary to be living well. The fast-life will send you crashing fast, and being slow can get you fired. This movie teaches a lesson about being happy. Those two were a perfect match. It help me be happy, it'll do the same for you, too. 5 stars!