Film Review - Sully

Chesley Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) and  Jeffrey Skiles (Aaron Eckhart)

The circumstances of the landing of US Airways Flight 1549 onto the surface of the Hudson River in New York City following the loss of both engines captured public imagination and created aircraft piloting history. This film directed by Clint Eastwood with Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart in the roles as the Captain, Chesley Sullenberger (Sully) and the First Officer, Jeffrey Skiles provides the step-by-step events as they unfolded in the air, the actions taken by the flight crew to save the passengers on the failing aircraft and the consequent inquiry  by the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB).

On 15 January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 left LaGuardia Airport on route to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. 3 minutes into the flight, the aircraft collided with a flock of Canadian geese disabling both jet engines. With no engine power, limited altitude and no airports in safe distance, Sully decides the glide the aircraft and execute a controlled ditch into the Hudson River. The aircraft design and Sully's expert piloting achieve the almost impossible with an on-water landing without the loss of any crew and passengers. During the following NTSB investigation, multiple computer simulations with experienced pilots reacting under the same circumstances, all crashed when attempting to land at any airport thus confirming Sully's decision to risk ditching into the Hudson River as the only viable option. Successful water landings are, in fact, virtually unknown in aviation history.

Tom Hanks convincingly portrays the quiet, experienced Captain Sullenberger with Aaron Eckhart as the younger but equally professional First Officer Jeff Skiles. The calmness of the flight crew and focus on landing the aircraft successfully was confirmed by cockpit voice recordings which were presented at the NTSB investigation hearing. The live action sequences are augmented  by actual footage of the aircraft itself taken by security cameras on the shoreline and witnesses along the Hudson River as the event occured. Eastwood makes good use of this historical footage merged with the recreated version.

The film has been an exceptional success for Clint Eastwood having the biggest cinema and box office debut in North America and second largest debut world-wide in Eastwood's long career. For Tom Hanks, the film marked the third most successful live-action role he has had career wise. In terms of production costs and investment return, the total cost of $60 million has been more than surpassed by the box office takings which exceed $177.4 million - much to the pleasure of Warner Bros and Village Roadshow.  The film was shot using IMAX cameras and released in both IMAX and standard cinema screen versions.