Hitchcockian thriller that sees Jodie Foster on "Panic Room" form during a transatlantic flight from Berlin to New York.
She plays aeronautics expert Kyle Pratt, a grieving widow taking her recently deceased husband's body back to the States for burial.
But after catching a bit of shuteye mid flight Kyle wakes up to discover that her six year old daughter Julia (Lawston) has done a disappearing act.
Fear not though, surely not at all dodgy looking pilot Sean Bean will help her find him? Er, no. Instead, he calls her bonkers, says no one has seen the little brat and claims there is no record of her even being on the plane.
So has Julia been kidnapped or is she the figment of her mum's disturbed imagination? Try asking the shifty looking air stewardess, or maybe the suspicious child psychologist (Scacchi) in the next row.
Failing that, blame it on the random Arab bloke who's just trying to enjoy his in flight movie – Hollywood always has them up to something.
They say:
Total Film: "Compelling take off with major turbulence near the end, but a safe landing thanks to Foster's undimmed star power."
Guardian: "An enjoyable if wildly implausible aeroplane thriller with a homeland security flavour and a plot cheekily pinched from Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes."
Empire: "Thank you for flying Flightplan. Plot holes and disappointing last acts are located ‘here’, ‘here’ and ‘here’. Strap yourself in for an enthralling, enjoyable if ultimately far fetched thriller."
We say:
This first class "Sixth Sense" style suspense thriller takes a serious nosedive in a ridiculous final act which is riddled with plot holes big enough to push the entire cast of Celebrity Fit Club through - except for Russell Grant perhaps.
For example, how did Kyle know the inner workings of the plane when she is only a jet propulsion engineer? Why is there only one coffin?
How can no one have seen Julia in the boarding queue? The list goes on.
However, the first hour is a master class in mounting tension and Foster is on sterling "mum in peril" form, finding a steely determination as consequences begin to conspire against her.
There are a couple of post 9/11 jibes too and the setting, on a huge new sooped up jumbo jet plane, is perfect.
Ultimately, Flightplan takes you on an infuriating journey that veers off course half way through and wouldn't look out of place amongst a group of flying pigs by the end.
CAST
Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Sean Bean, Greta Scacchi,
Kate Beahan, Erika Christensen, Marlene Lawston
DIRECTOR
Robert Schwentke
TIME
98 mins
POSTED...
Thu 30 Mar 2006 at 10:42pm
