I always wondered why it took so long for such story to become a feature film as I heard about the incident of flight 375 for ages. But it was worth
waiting as the film was amazingly well done in all aspects with plenty of thrills, suspense and it offers a nostalgic view of Brazil in the late 1980's. It's
the true story of the kidnapping of a flight by unemployed rural worker Raimundo Nonato (Jorge Paz), dissatisfied with the country's economical policies
of president Sarney, who decides to throw a plane on the twin towers of Congress, in the capital Brasília, and possibly kill the president and
his cabinet. Armed and dangerous, he takes over the cockpit, shoots the co-pilot and it's all up to an experienced commander (Danilo Grangheia) to try to find a
way out of this dangerous scenario, save everybody's lives and avoid a tragedy.
While it surely falls into the aviation/kidnapped plane routine, the film never loses momentum with its rising tension and the whole commotion both
inside the plane and on the ground with flight controllers, the military from aeronautics trying to control the situation and alert the government authorities.
It's a little repetitive at parts, but it works. Grangheia as the heroic pilot Murilo was a joy to watch and he has the best performance in the movie.
As said, it's based on real events that took place on 29 September 1988 yet most Brazilians never heard about it, except for aviation buffs, curious
minds on the internet, or had the chance to read Ivan Santanna's book "Caixa Preta" which covers three flight accidents (this incident, the 1989 in Marabá
and 1973 in Orly). I haven't read the book I read but an article describing this event, which always made me curious and wondering why there wasn't a film about it all
those years. Outside of that, there's a TV report from one network and that's the best we could get. For those outside of Brazil, you haven't read wrong
an early description of mine: throwing a plane on twin towers (way before 9/11). That was the man's idea, and the heroic maneuvre execute by the pilot, that
horrifying tunneau, that distracted the terrorist, happened, it can be done against all odds, and it is the most awaited moment in the whole movie as done in a spectacular fashion.
Can't say much about the accuracy of it all, but it's obvious that a couple of changes were done here and there and it serves its purpose of telling
a dramatic story, one that gets you from the very first minutes. I positively enjoyed this a lot more than I expected, and here's a solid proof that this great
cinema of ours isn't all that dead, it can offer entertainment and make a nice retelling of a real story.
My disappointment isn't destined to the film but with
the team in charge of its distribution and/or the cinema chains in here, that either didn't make a wide publicity about it (so it's the kind of story destined
to be underseen just as the real one) and it was released on very select theatres which is a pity since this film had the potential of becoming a major hit. It'll get a fair share of viewers on streaming who'll later ask: why I didn't see it when it was released? Well, because you haven't heard about it or it wasn't shown in your area. 10/10.
