Flightplan

Having just lost her husband when he threw himself off the roof of their building, Kyle is a mess and is just trying to keep it together long enough to take his coffin and their young daughter back to the US. They fall asleep in the back of the half full plane but three hours into the flight Kyle wakes up to find her daughter gone. The crew help her look but, as time goes on Kyle becomes more and more frantic and scared for her daughter. At the same time the crew and her fellow passengers become more incredulous at her claims.

Despite my reservations that this would just be a poor photocopy of The Lady Vanishes I decided to give this a go and surprised myself by actually enjoying it up to a point. The film opens well, with supernatural twists and cold hues to the film that make us think all sorts of things and then builds on that. The confines of the plane help the tension be raised slowly and effectively while the fact that the audience never know what is really happening helps to keep us on edge. For the majority of the film this works well but at some point it has to decide an option to take and, at this point the questions get answered and it is a problem that the answers don't make a lot of sense. In fact they require a lot of suspension of belief and the ability to not question them. Luckily, for me the film had built up enough of a head of steam to just about make it to the finishing line despite this sudden blow – everything is in play and the end is near and it is tension and involvement that gets you there. This was the point I felt it struggled but I always knew it was going to come and by showing its hand late in the game and playing to its strengths for the majority of the time I felt it just about pulled it off.

Foster isn't that great here in terms of range but she does sell the wide-eyed panic she has to deliver and her performance helps the film build tension within the cabin while also sharing her doubts about herself with the audience. Sarsgaard is enjoyable in his role and works well with Foster. Bean is a good presence and moves well from helping to serious doubt. The support cast throw in plenty of reasonable support turns to distract, however I found a plane crewed by supermodel stewardesses to be almost as hard to swallow as the main plot twist itself.

Overall this is an enjoyable thriller that manages to put enough tension in the bank to carry itself when the credibility cheques start to bounce in the final third. The cast and the director keep the incredibly unlikely plot at bay for as long as they can and they build the majority on a tension of the unknown. Yes, it all starts to fall to pieces when the illogical truth comes to light but by then it has done enough just to make it to the end before the wings totally fall off. Worth a look but don't expect too much more than an enjoyable ride.