Despite all the lukewarm reviews, I decided to catch “Flight Plan” today. Jodie Foster has always been a big favorite of mine, (I thought “Nell” was overlooked for an Oscar) so I try to catch as many of her films I can.
“Flight Plan,” in my opinion, didn’t disappoint. It had a steady pace, an interesting plot, a lot of “edge-of-your-seat-hold-on-to-the-armrest” moments, and a not-so-bad conclusion. The narrative tries to throw you off with the odd twist and surprise characters, something that’s always good in a film. But personally, the nice thing about “Flight Plan” is how you leave the theater still connecting together pieces of the story and silently nodding your head thinking: “So that’s what it was.”
One of the best parts of this film was the fact that you don’t know who the bad guy is until the last quarter of the film. Normally, that would be irritating, but in this case, it added so much to the suspense – and eventual resolution.
Jodie Foster was her usual brilliant self. She owned most of the film, and only a few actresses can get away with having every little bit of the story revolve around her. Her strength, vulnerability, anguish and intelligence all melded together to create a realistically flawed character. But in crucial parts of the film, her interaction with the movie’s main villain is what spiced up the story.
Which brings me to Peter Sarsgaard. He’s fast becoming one of cinema’s most effective bad guys.
According to my former film teacher, Ms. Santiago, the villain is always an integral part of every story. In this person’s hand often lies the conflict, and in any narrative, the conflict is the propulsion that determines how far the story can go.
What makes Peter Sarsgaard so stellar as a villain is the fact that he looks nothing like one. He has these droopy puppy eyes, boy-next-door hair and vulnerable charm that would best typify him as the trampled-down-upon little brother.
And he does! Most of the time, you follow him around the story thinking he’s one of the good guys. He's the compassionate seatmate who offers a helping hand, gaining everyone’s trust and good graces. Then, just as you least expect it, KA-BLAM! He shows his true colors and you realize he was the big, bad wolf the entire time.
“Flight Plan” is the second film I’ve seen in a month that had Peter Sarsgaard in it. The other one was “Skeleton Key” with Kate Hudson. His character in that film was essentially the same; a nice, country lawyer who hires and helps out Kate. But come the end of the movie, we see him for who he really is – a reincarnation of an evil voodoo master. Again, I didn’t see that coming.
Only a few actors can get away with this “nice-guy-turned-baddie” shtick. At the top of the list – and a far, far, FAAAARRRR number one would be Kevin Spacey’s brilliant performance in “Seven.” But give Peter Saarsgard a few more films, and I think he’ll turn out to be a person who you’ll just love to hate.
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