Jodie Foster plays Kyle, a distraught new widow whose forlorn six-year-old daughter has disappeared in the middle of an overnight flight, in this thriller that is almost worthy of being called "Hitchcockian" for its first two smart, nerve-wracking acts. Frantically searching the state-of-the-art jumbo jet, Foster becomes so unruly that the passengers are put on edge, the captain is called, and an air marshal (Peter Sarsgaard) takes her into custody while the crew looks for the missing child. Startling revelations emerge about the death of Kyle's husband and other seemingly indisputable plot particulars, and the dynamics of the film—and the viewer's perception of this grief-stricken widow—shift wildly with substantial jolts, as director Robert Schwentke deftly balances mood, pacing, and Foster's gut-wrenching, cracked-psyche performance to create an atmosphere of incendiary tension. But then, in an instant, Flightplan dives into a B-movie tailspin from which it simply cannot recover, serving up a last big twist so strained, absurd, and out of character that no amount of talent can bring the film in for a safe landing. Not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by director Robert Schwentke, the 39-minute “making-of” documentary “The In-Flight Movie,” the featurette “Cabin Pressure: Designing the Aalto E-474” (10 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a so-so thriller.] (R. Blackwelder)
Flightplan
Touchstone, 98 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.99, Jan. 24 Volume 21, Issue 1
Flightplan
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