Sully gives strong account of modern history

Short Version: Sully is a compelling drama about an inspiring piece of modern history.

Sully takes us back to the 2009 event known as "The Miracle on the Hudson", in which a plane taking off from New York's La Guardia airport was struck by a flock of birds and lost both engines, forcing the pilot, Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenburger (Tom Hanks), to make an emergency landing on the Hudson river.

In the film, we learn more about the aftermath of that event, in which the National Transportation Safety Board investigated Sully's judgement in choosing a water landing as opposed a standard airport return - while the captain and his family weathered a storm of national media attention they were ill-prepared to deal with.

With so much pressure on his shoulders, so many lives that counted on him, and his reputation (really, his life) teetering on the line of the government's assessment of an impossible decision, Sully just tries to keep his mind and health intact until he can land safely on his feet again.

The first film pairing of director Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks, Sully is yet another successful modern biopic project for Eastwood -- following American Sniper. The minor miracle of Sully, though, is how it takes one action event (the Hudson landing) and turns that small bit of real estate into an interesting, moving, and even thrilling courtroom procedural/character study, filled with a well-earned swell of Americana pride.

In terms of direction, Sully marks one of Eastwood's most even and cohesive works in awhile. It's beautifully shot, with Eastwood and his longtime cinematographer Tom Stern turning Manhattan's west side into a vibrant and bright Mecca worthy of a travel brochure, while still retaining Eastwood's now signature washed out tones and muted contrast. The actual plane landing sequence (played back several times throughout the movie) looks a little like a CGI simulator at times, but Eastwood uses some smart perspective changes (from onlookers on the ground) and a good performance from the actors in the cockpit, to really capture the utter tension of the event. That he makes the sequence just as thrilling each time we see it (for entirely different reasons) is a testament to how in control he is of each facet of this film. That mastery extends to the obvious danger of imagery that invokes the painful memories of 9/11, something the movie itself acknowledges - quietly, but powerfully.

The script by Tom Komarnicki (Perfect Stranger) takes the book "Highest Duty" by Jeffrey Zaslow and Sully himself, and adapts it into an efficient and nicely-paced examination of the "Miracle on the Hudson" event and the man at the center of it. The non-linear format actually works well, as events in the present (in the immediate aftermath of the Hudson landing, and at key points of the NTSB hearings) dovetail nicely into flashbacks about Sully's piloting career, and other events on the day of the Hudson landing.

The usual pitfall of biopics is an overly episodic selection of moments to examine, but Komarnicki balances everything right, with just enough flashbacks; just enough NTSB "courtroom drama"; just enough pop-culture Easter eggs (fun without being obnoxious); and smart returns to the excitement of Hudson landing, via some horrific alternate visions of what could have happened that day.

In terms of performance, Tom Hanks delivers another great one playing Captain Chelsey Sullenberger. Hanks is obviously a seasoned pro at creating thoughtful and good-natured all-American personas, and Sully (if you've never seen him in real-life) is indeed just that. What Hanks does is create the character onscreen in such a way that it's easy to believe it's not just his career at stake, but his spirit. Hanks makes you empathize with the idea that Sully's soul hinged on every single one of those passengers making out of that plane that day. That internal conflict gives Eastwood a perfect setup to create real character-inspired tension that affects the viewer: a scene of Sully desperately trying to establish a passenger count after the Hudson landing will make you hold your breath, even though, deep down, you already know the outcome. It's the sort of movie magic that a director and all-star leading actor can (and do) create when working in synch.

Aiding Hanks is a supporting cast of pros in their own right. Aaron Eckhart is a constant scene-stealer as Sully's co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, bringing needed energy and levity to courtroom drama scenes. Laura Linney puts some depth beneath a standard "worried wife" role, and she's able to create (with Hanks) the sort of bond between a longtime married couple that's believable - to the point that their moments of awkward pauses and silences while on the phone with one another, actually say more than most actors can sharing a scene. Linney acts as the insider who knows what's at stake for Sully personally, should the hearings go wrong, and her subtle panic definitely helps the audience feel that tension, as well. Actors like Mike O'Malley (Glee) and Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) all fill out roles as personnel on both sides of the NTSB hearings, and it's a strong lineup of talent, even in the smallest roles.

In the end, Sully is a compelling drama about an inspiring piece of modern history. It's another great movie from Eastwood; another great performance from Hanks; and definitely a great piece of cinema for the adult crowd to catch in theaters.

Sully opens in theaters on September 9. It is 95 minutes long and is Rated PG-13 for some peril and brief strong language.