Sully

In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia airport. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft collided with a flock of birds, damaging both engines. At low altitude and with no thrust, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger faced a terrible choice: should he return to LaGuardia, land at another airport, or take another option? Convinced airports were unreachable, he put the plane down in the Hudson river. All 155 people on-board were saved. Sully became a hero, but when the National Transporation Safety Board (NTSB) opens their investigation, their doubts about his actions place Sully in a fresh dilemma: did he act appropriately? Or could he have in fact landed somewhere safely?

Based on the true story (I remember when this happened), this short and straightforward retelling of the situation and aftermath was solid. The film does a good job protraying the PTSD Sully and others experienced; his anguish continued even after everyone proved safe. The only thing I didn't like was the villainous attitude of the NTSB; rather than conduct an impartial investigation, they were portrayed (probably unfairly) as being out to prove Sully erred. Thankfully, he didn't, but more importantly, everyone survived.

Rating: A-