I ‘RECUPERATI’ di ‘CelluloidPortraits’ - RECENSIONE - Mel Gibson torna dietro la macchina da presa dopo otto anni da La battaglia di Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - Dall'8 Maggio
(Flight Risk; Usa 2024; Thriller; 91'; Produz.: Lionsgate, Media Capital Technologies in associazione con: Hammerstone Studios, Davis Entertainment, Blue Rider Pictures, Icon Productions; Distribuz.: Eagle Pictures)
Cast: Mark Wahlberg (Daryl Booth) Michelle Dockery (Madelyn Harris) Topher Grace (Winston) Leah Remini (Van Sant) Monib Abhat (Hassan) Paul Ben-Victor (Direttore Coleridge) Eilise Patton (Janine) Maaz Ali (Hassan) (Voce)
Musica: Antonio Pinto
Costumi: Kristen Kopp
Scenografia: David Meyer
Fotografia: Johnny Derango
Montaggio: Steven Rosenblum
Effetti Speciali: Jesse Noel (supervisore)
Makeup: Haley Dunphy (direzione); Allan A. Apone (per Mark Wahlberg)
Casting: Kathy McKee
Scheda film aggiornata al:
27 Maggio 2025
Sinossi:
In breve:
Protagonisti la U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery), Winston (Topher Grace), un ex contabile della potente famiglia criminale dei Moretti e Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg), un pilota d'aerei originario del Texas.
Madolyn ha il compito di scortare Winston da Anchorage a New York, dove è atteso per testimoniare in un processo contro i suoi ex datori di lavoro. L'uomo, diventato un informatore di giustizia, si era infatti rifugiato in Alaska, dove è stato rintracciato e arrestato dalla donna. Il loro viaggio avverrà a bordo del piccolo aereo pilotato da Daryl.
Durante il volo, Winston, ammanettato sul sedile di dietro, riesce a notare un dettaglio inquietante: la foto sulla licenza di pilota non corrisponde al volto di Daryl. Cerca così di avvertire Madolyn, la quale non può sentirlo essendo seduta davanti, accanto al pilota, e con le cuffie indosso. Poco dopo, un'involontaria inflessione nell'accento del pilota, che aveva dichiarato di essere del Texas, finisce per tradirlo: Daryl non è chi dice di essere. In realtà è un sicario incaricato di eliminare Winston prima che possa arrivare a New York e testimoniare.
Per Madolyn e Winston inizia una lotta per la sopravvivenza sopra i cieli dell'Alaska...
In dettaglio:
L'U.S. Marshal Madelyn Harris arriva in Alaska per raggiungere Winston, un pentito che deve presenziare a un importante processo contro la famiglia mafiosa dei Moretti. È previsto un viaggio in aeroplano per portare il testimone-chiave ad Anchorage, dalla quale poi sarà segretamente trasferito a New York. Il piccolo velivolo sarà guidato dal fido Daryl Booth.
Winston viene preso in custodia da alcuni infermieri; mentre viene accolta da Hassan, Madelyn intravede un paramedico sospetto e lo segue. Lo trova in un'ambulanza e gli spara mentre lui sta cercando di strangolare il testimone. Il telefono di quest'altro sicario è in chiamata con Coleridge: Madelyn lo avvisa che il suo piano è fallito.
Storyline:
U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris arrests Winston, an accountant, while he is hiding in Alaska after turning informant against his former employer, the Moretti crime family. Madolyn charters a small airplane to take them to Anchorage so they can transfer to New York City, where she intends for Winston to testify against mobster Moretti. They are piloted by Daryl Booth, a Texan living in Alaska, who explains that the aircraft's radio and GPS is regularly out of order.
While shackled in the middle of the plane, Winston spots Daryl's pilot license under the seat in front of him, noticing that the photograph is a different person to "Daryl." He tries to warn Madolyn, who has a headset on and cannot hear him. After a brief conversation with Madolyn, "Daryl" mentions how she will go to Seattle after reaching Anchorage. He should not have known this, thus he reveals himself to be a hitman using Daryl's identity with orders to kill Winston. Madolyn manages to subdue him with a taser, and takes over piloting the plane.
Using her satellite phone, Madolyn explains the situation to her direct superior, Caroline Van Sant. Caroline tells her that Winston must be kept alive if Moretti is to be brought to justice. Winston had skimmed $1 million from the Moretti crime family during his time working for them. Caroline tells Madolyn that the real Daryl Booth had been tortured to death by "Daryl," and that she will arrange for another pilot to call her to help navigate them to safety.
Madolyn begins to grow suspicious of Caroline when "Daryl" knows information about her past that he should not have known--information that could only have come from the Marshalls. Thus, Madolyn begins to suspect that Van Sant is the leak to the mob. Madolyn then gets in touch with FBI Director Coleridge to explain her suspicions. However, Coleridge gives himself away as being on Moretti's payroll when he mentions his beach house, since Winston recognizes that a past request for payment came from a URL in that city. This puts Van Sant's life in danger, since Coleridge needs her to take the fall for any suspicions, lest he becomes a suspect.
"Daryl" wakes up, shackled to the overhead rack, and taunts Winston, promising to make him suffer, as well as to kill his mother, whose address he knows. He also reveals that Madolyn had been put on desk duty for several years after her neglect had caused the death of a witness in her custody during her last field mission; Madolyn permitted the witness to take a shower unsupervised, albeit handcuffed, when their motel room was firebombed by a cartel hitman, and Madolyn fled while forgetting the witness could not escape.
Hassan, a pilot on the ground in Anchorage, calls Madolyn and teaches her how to steer the plane; he also calms her and says they will go drinking and dancing when she lands safely. "Daryl" manages to free himself from his handcuffs and attacks the pair. He stabs Winston twice and begins to strangle Madolyn with the seatbelt. She is about to pass out when Winston removes the knife from his chest and cuts the belt, allowing Madolyn to shoot "Daryl" with a flare gun, incapacitating him at the back of the plane. When Coleridge calls Madolyn and tells her that Caroline has been killed in a car accident, she vows to bring him down alongside Moretti. A US Navy F/A-18 Hornet meets the plane to escort it to the airport.
With Winston now in dire need of medical attention, Hassan guides Madolyn into landing the plane as quickly as possible, which burns through their remaining fuel supply. On the approach, "Daryl" regains consciousness, almost degloves his hand in order to extract it from the handcuffs, and attacks again. But he is shot by Madolyn and thrown off the plane, where he is run over by an ambulance, as Madolyn manages a successful crash landing.
Winston is rushed into an ambulance by the ground crew as Madolyn is greeted by Hassan. Madolyn notices that a suspicious-looking paramedic has entered the ambulance, and she quickly makes her way to the ambulance, finding that the fake paramedic is using a plastic bag to smother Winston. Madolyn shoots the paramedic before he can kill Winston. Madolyn picks up the paramedic's phone, revealing him as a hitman acting under orders from Coleridge, who is on the other end of the line. She tells Coleridge that he is finished. Then Madolyn shares a caring moment with Winston, who smiles wanly.
- il cognome Moretti richiama, come consuetudine nel format americano, la bandiera italiana - è sfrontato, aggressivo, rozzo e volgare pure nel linguaggio, oltre che nel comportamento. Insomma, un villain rustico cui fa da contraltare Topher Grace con il suo supertestimone Wiston, logorroico pur nella linfa scanzonata, a dispetto di circostanze e contesto, e alquanto umorale, sempre pronto all’ironia, tanto da far pensare a questa storia come a una parodia di genere. Onore al merito alla scrittura dell’esordiente Jared Rosenberg.
ai piani alti della stessa U. S. Marshal. Ma al di là degli attacchi improvvisi, dei tiri mancini incrociati, dei flashback verbali sui loro trascorsi, delle piccole trovate da intrattenimento, insomma, per tutto il tempo - grazie a Dio misurato! - di convivenza dei tre su questo aereo - peraltro alquanto scassato che decolla dall’Alaska - non si riesce a respirare una vera grande tensione, solo un suo riflesso pronto a dissolversi come la condensa sul vetro del finestrino. E pure l’uccello che si scontra con il muso dell’aereo, scivola via senza infamia e senza lode, a dispetto della sedicente metafora del brutto segnale o presentimento. Insomma, Mel Gibson qui sembra aver voluto più scherzare che fare sul serio, come a scaldare i motori per un’altra prova da regista più viscerale. E, a giudicare dalla nuova Passione di Cristo già in cantiere, c’è da giurarci che sarà così!
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