Captain Sully

January 15, 2009. Many remember the date for the "Miracle on the Hudson." Crew and passengers totaled 155 as birds flew into the engine of the plane, forcing the captain to land in the Hudson River. Heralded as a hero, people who haven't read the book (including myself) that Chesley Sullenberger proceeded to write about the incident may not be familiar with everything that happened after the memorable day.

There's different ways of approaching the material, so let's see how they decided to do it before analyzing the contributions of the individual. The beginning sets up how Sully never embraces the role of a hero and how his mind is tormented about how he saved the lives of everyone, yet the flight committee pushes to know if it was the best and safest decision; Sully reported that he lost both engines and thus wouldn't have thrust to return to a runway, but simulations and data engineers put together state otherwise. The beginning also sets up how Sully has always had a passion to fly and is an experienced pilot with over 40 years under his belt.

It isn't until about the 30 minute mark that we get our first glimpses of the day in question. From then on there's a good deal of Sully contemplatively running through New York and reliving the day and the possible outcomes, and then different views of the 208 seconds of fateful flight.

This is not the most thrilling movie. It just simply can't be. And it doesn't infuse the amount of enjoyment that Moneyball did with subject matter that could've bored audiences. Nevertheless, that is not to say the movie is boring. Clint Eastwood directs, and he more than anybody ever can direct with such a cool hand. And his directing when it comes to the rescue scenes on the river may be overlooked, but it's truly strong directing. And in typical Eastwood form, expect a lot of subtle piano playing in the film (Eastwood is credited with the theme for the film). It's also worth mentioning that even though many glimpses of the crash (or as Sully puts it, "forced water landing") are presented throughout the brisk hour and a half, it doesn't get old. There's purpose every time it's shown, and the right amount is shown every time.

Tom Hanks stars as the captain who misses his family and truly believes he was just doing his job-- nothing overly heroic. There's some internal demons to battle over the course of the movie, and it may not be Hanks' finest performance, but the everyday-charm and subtleness is still quite a performance. Aaron Eckhart is the clear supporting role, second fiddle character. He's really meant to be the comic relief, and, not all the jokes are the most well-written, but again there's charm for the guy that has his captain's back every step of the way. Laura Linney is never on the screen with Hanks at the same time, but as the distressed wife, they share plenty of phone calls together.

Again, this really isn't the most thrilling movie, and there shouldn't be hopes of it being one either. But it is a film shot almost entirely in IMAX cameras and the shots of New York are great; the acting is basically between good and great, and the final act shows the most humanity. Perhaps the film could be likened to Lincoln-- well acted without the most compelling of stories, but instead of Lincoln's ensemble cast, Sully places its bets on the focus of a few individual and that helps it retain the identity of an enjoyable film. It probably doesn't raise to the level needed for any Oscar nod, but it is an enjoyable film. And when you can enjoy a film or the film succeeds in the purpose it set out on, that's a win in my books.

Never Say Never to a Review on a Saturday Night

Although I can highly recommend documentaries like Food, Inc., I honestly haven't watched too much in the genre. With that being said, I have prepared a double-header for tonight.

First up, we look to pop music and the Bieber Fever craze. Honestly, if you're going to take up time to watch something on the Canadian, I'd probably say just watch the roast of this guy. As that is not the case for tonight, I'll try addressing this documentary with as little bias as possible.

The film starts off with a terrible edit-infused montage that shows how contemporary and how in-the-moment the singing phenomenon is and how he's changing the world. I will say, some of the biggest joy of watching this is seeing all the braces-wearing tween girls scream and jump and drool over the guy. And then watching fathers wearing Justin Bieber shirts as they take their daughters to the concerts for the experience is humorous as well. I'm really not sure if these were the moments where I was supposed to find joy in this documentary, but I had to have something keep me going through the run-time.

The film switches between the buildup to the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden-- an actually impressive feat-- and the humble beginnings of the kid and his rise to stardom. As I really never (sorry for the use of that word) cared about the guy, I only knew bits and pieces to his story, like how he finished second at a singing competition in Canada. As the film shows a bunch of old videos of Justin playing around with his first instruments, there is some vocal talent for his age. But what you have to give the guy credit for is his innate ability with the drums. As much as any guy would hate to admit, Justin Bieber has shown that there is some musical ability under the dreamy hair and brows and eyes and whatever else.

How his eventual manager found his videos randomly on YouTube and introduced him to Usher and all the other events unfolded is all good story material, but it really isn't all that gripping.

Before I can't take it anymore, we'll discuss his performances on the stage that are shown pretty frequently. I'd describe his dancing as a buffered Michael Jackson-- he always seems one move behind. Granted, he does have good footwork and he's able to work the crowd, but his songs just really aren't that pleasing to listen to. I haven't read the series and don't plan to, but it's probably like going back to read Twilight only to realize that the writing style really isn't all that that it was cut out to be the first time reading. Look, I think we've all had enough of this documentary, so let's move on to something a little more interesting.

James Franco goes behind the scenes for one of the most recognizable TV shows ever, Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night chronicles the week's preparation for the live show at the titular time.

The week they filmed is with John Malkovich as the guest host. Although he is seen somewhat during the rehearsals and overviews of skits, the focus isn't on him, and that is truly a good thing. There's a huge team of writers, and everyone gathers around as they throw out ideas for skits-- these include Malkovich wondering about his first cycle as a 13-year-old girl and how the other girls pressure him (her), and another where Malkovich comes in to sing the jingle for that empire carpeting commercial. The writers get to work and try honing their scripts.

As the Live team of actors is very different from what comprised the '75 season, a lot of screen time is given to the likes of Bill Hader. Truly a funny and talented man, he walks around with advice for what should happen during the skits. As the documentary proceeds through the days, one standout moment was a quick interaction with one worker. With a coffee mug in hand, it is told that it is 10 in the morning, and the guy mumbles how he went to bed around 6 and woke up around 8. You really may not think about it, but there's a whole bunch of work and time put in to trying to make a strong week for the show.

Anybody interested in the industry or curious about behind-the-scenes looks should check this documentary out. I learned more than I thought I would, laughed and was entertained, and simply enjoyed the entire film. It's not ground-breaking by any means, but getting a peek behind how the Weekend Update segment is written is really neat. I may not watch the show all that much and haven't been the most impressed in recent years, but it does certainly leave you with more of an appreciation of the dedication behind it all.

This review was written live from New York. Goodnight, everyone!