Sully

I remember the incident of the airliner landing onto the Hudson River in New York City with all passengers and crew safely rescued.

The pilot, nicknamed 'Sully', who was responsible for this emergency landing was briefly perhaps the most famous and admired person in the world. What I have less memory of is the accompanying investigation in which the Transport Safety Board took the view that the landing was not necessary and that the plane could have been safely returned to the nearby airport.

The story of this incident and that investigation provide the subject of this film. I was lost early on with some of the technical dialogue and for a while the film seemed too intent for my liking on cheesy stereotypes; the last minute passengers, the sad story passengers, the youthful pilot taught by his grandfather etc.

Thankfully, the film really springs to life with the set piece investigations climax which I found absorbing. In the meantime the film is kept afloat (excuse the irony) by flying sequences that are very well executed.

★★★1/2