‘Pushing Tin’ flies high on humor

“Pushing Tin.” Directed by Mike Newell. Written by Glen and Les Charles, based on an article by Darcy Frey. Running time: 124 minutes. Rated R (language, sexuality, nudity).

In spite of an awful title that suggests otherwise, Mike Newell’s “Pushing Tin” is actually more fun than, say, pushing a metal chain with a broken toe. It takes all the natural, laugh-out-loud hysterics that apparently lurk within the tense world of air-traffic controllers, and turns it into a film that’s surprisingly engaging, witty and — at times, even heartfelt and funny.

Who knew?

But don’t expect to ever watch it on an airplane — this film has one thing on it’s mind: Which of its two rival air-traffic controllers — Nick Falzone (John Cusack) or Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton) — has the bigger jumbo jet lodged within his pants.

Essentially, that’s the basis for this film, which is so soaked in masculinity, and so awash in in testosterone, audiences, including women and small children, may grow full beards while watching it.

Initially, the film belongs to Nick, who is the very best at what he does — pushing airplanes safely through the congested skies of New York City. We know Nick is the best not only because everyone says so, but because he behaves as if he’s the best. His “Top Gun” swagger truly is a thing to behold, and while it may be a cliche, it’s nevertheless necessary: audiences wouldn’t take him seriously if he weren’t such a cocky ass.

Still, he’s a lightweight next to Russell, a rough, tough, cowboy controller from out West who seems to be made of beef jerky, nails and gasoline. Storming into New York with his cheap bombshell of a wife, Mary (Angelina Jolie), Russell is a gifted, hot shot air-traffic controller who quickly steals Nick’s limelight with his daring style in the control room.

Predictably, sparks fly: Nick has an affair with Russell’s wife, and Russell, in turn, chases Nick’s wife, Connie (the nearly unrecognizable Cate Blanchett from “Elizabeth”). The literate script by “Cheers” creators Glen and Les Charles skillfully keeps things moving until the final act, when the film takes a sudden nose dive with plot and character developments that are, to say the least, a bit too turbulent to stomach.

Still, the cast is always a pleasure to watch, particularly Cusack and Blanchett, who are just quirky enough to make the friendly skies fetchingly neurotic.

Grade: B

Video of the Week

“The Siege.” Directed by Edward Zwick. Written by Lawrence Wright, Menno Meyjes and Zwick. Running time: 109 minutes. Rated R (for violence, language, sexual content).

Edward Zwick’s “The Siege” is so comfortably formulaic, so at ease in its cliches, and so dependent on its audiences’ knowledge of the thriller-espionage genre, it comes as something of a surprise that it does take one significant risk, albeit one that proved critically fatal upon its November release in theaters: it brazenly demonizes Arabs and Arab-Americans.

The film, which stars Denzel Washington, Annette Bening and the increasingly grim and humorless Bruce Willis, is about terrorism in New York City — specifically, the bombing of city buses, schoolrooms, a packed Broadway theater and a federal office building, by a vicious band of Arab terrorists. When martial law is declared by the grim and humorless Gen. William Devereaux (who else but Willis?), any Arab, citizen or not, is considered a suspect of those bombings and thus is rounded up and detained without due process.

Zwick and his screenwriters are depending on audiences to bring to this film the same feelings of rage they may have experienced when the World Trade Center was bombed. That shouldn’t be difficult to do, but the film makes the mistake of assuming that most Arabs are a threat, even those who call this country their own, which is simply untrue.

The film does offer a tepid balancing act — Bening’s character has an Arab-American boyfriend, and Washington’s FBI partner (Tony Shalhoub) is also Arab-American — but it all seems perfunctory, a calculated effort on the filmmakers’ part to defuse their own prejudiced bomb.

“The Siege” is supposed to be a thriller, but it’s too slow and predictable for that. Still, it does spark a dialogue that can be heated. When a film does that, it’s worth a look.

Grade: C

Christopher Smith’s film reviews appear each Monday in the Bangor Daily News. Each week on WLBZ’s “News Center 5:30 Today” and “News Center Tonight,” he reviews current feature films (Tuesdays) and what’s new and worth renting at video stores