Alicia I love this movie so much

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

aquascape What I thought to be an entertaining John Cusack film, given his successful late 90's streak, "Pushing Tin" was not. John Cusack plays a top air traffic controller in a world where one mistake could cost hundreds of lives. His position as alpha dog is unchallenged until Billy Bob enters the game as a newly transferred controller.That's pretty much all that is going on in the work environment. After this, the film relies heavily on anything but the interesting world of radar and traffic control and focuses on the life outside the work boundaries, touching subjects like family, infidelity, deception and strange ways to see John Cusack's character get bested by Billy Bob's.I am surprised to see Mike Newell loose form after "Four Wedding and A Funeral" and "Donnie Brasco". The writing was a complete mess and years later I think it's only good for a Sunday afternoon watch where you could do other activities while running the movie in the background.

Woodyanders Cocky hotshot workaholic air traffic controller Nick Falzone (an excellent performance by John Cusack) reigns supreme as the top dog at the airport he works at. However, Nick's heretofore sturdy hold on things gets knocked out of whack with the arrival of laid-back, but virile and imposing new transfer Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton in peak rugged form). Pretty soon Nick's personal and professional lives take a downward turn for the worse.Director Mike Newell astutely captures the fierce high pressure nature of a highly unusual and intense workplace, keeps the enjoyable and engrossing story moving along at a steady pace, and maintains a quirky tone that balances precariously between flaky comedy and thoughtful drama. The offbeat and original script by Glen and Les Charles offers some stinging insights on the intrinsic destructive futility of macho competitive male one-upmanship and the continual struggle for control in one's life, but falters a bit at the end by trying to wrap things up too neatly in a bow.Fortunately, the uniformly fine acting by the bang-up cast holds this movie together: Cusack and Thornton both do sterling work in their meaty roles, Cate Blanchett delivers a touching turn as Nick's fed-up and neglected wife Connie, and Angelina Jolie brings a scorching vampy allure to her juicy part as Russell's luscious young babe wife Mary, plus there are sound supporting contributions from Jake Weber as easygoing smartaleck Barry Plotkin, Kurt Fuller as the weary Ed Clabes, Vicki Lewis as tough bodybuilding buff Tina Leary, Matt Ross as the high strung Ron Hewitt, and Jerry Grayson as gruff superior Leo Morton. Gale Tattersall's crisp widescreen cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. Anne Dudley's harmonic score does the tuneful trick. Not a complete success, but still worth a watch for those seeking something out of the ordinary.

SnoopyStyle Nick Falzone (John Cusack) is a hot shot air traffic controller at the New York TRACON. It's a high pressure environment. Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton) is the cool threatening veteran controller who joins the crew. He has an unstable past. Nick finds himself competing against Russell in every aspect. Nick is supposedly happily married to his wife Connie (Cate Blanchett) with a couple of kids but he ends up cheating with Russell's hot young wife Mary (Angelina Jolie).It's a nice inside look at a high pressure but little seen part of the world. It has its darker tones but it's not really a dark comedy. It seems to need some more wacky off-centered characters. It needs some broader humor and some more interesting style. Thornton is good as the slightly crazy menace. The cast is generally a good bunch. The movie just needs a sharper bite.

lastliberal I was listening to Stephen and Sam from AllMovieTalk.com on their podcast the other day and they were listing their top 6 plane movies. Stephen mentioned this film and, while it is not entirely about planes, it is about air traffic controllers.John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton are controllers. Cusack is the top dog, and Thornton is the new guy. They don't really get along, and things really get out of control when Cusack sleeps with Thornton's wife - Angelina Jolie.This is my third encounter with Miss Jolie today. It is her birthday, so I was recalling my favorite Jolie film (The Bone Collector) which came out the same year as this film. It was also the year for Girl, Interrupted, by the way. Anyway, I went to the mailbox this afternoon and there was this month's Esquire with Angelina on the cover, and now I see her her looking a fine as ever. It has been a Jolie day! And who is Cusack cheating on with Angelina? Why, it's Cate Blanchett. Ah, the grass is always greener...Director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco, Four Weddings and a Funeral) did a good job, but most of the credit for the movie goes to Cusack, who did a great job as someone dealing with a life going out of control.By the way, it is NOT a comedy. I heard it was billed as one, but it is more about what happens when you always try to be top dog and forget what is important in life.It was a GOOD Angelina day.