UNITED 93

by Joe Barber on Apr.29, 2006, under Joe Barber's Movie Reviews

JOE’S REVIEW: “UNITED 93″

I was not looking forward to seeing “United 93″ when I receieved word that pre0opening screenings had been scheduled. Even though we are about five months short of the fith anniversary of the terrible events of September 11, 2001, it just seemed as if it was too soon for a feature film about that day’s events. As much as I love movies, I know that there are nearly always at least a few liberties taken in filmic re-tellings of true events. All those thoughts ran through my head as the lights went down and the film began. About two hours later, I was shaken, saddened and needed to get out into the sunlight and gather my thoughts and emotions. One thing I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt: I had just seen a remarkable piece of cinema. “United 93″ is a compelling, heart wrending blend of documentary anbd drama, an unforgettable piece of masterful filmmaking.

The film begings in a matter of fact manner, as we watch passengers and crews arrive at the airport, chitchatting about commonplace things. In the New York air traffic center, the new head of East Coast operations is starting his first day in his new position. Suddenly, bits of information begin to make their way to the ears and eyes of air traffic contolers. Snippets of yells and screams on planes are heard. When controllers call to pilots, they get no response. Planes divert from their planned courses with no explination. News bulletins deliver the awful news that first one planne, then a second, have struck the World Trade Center buildings. A third hits the Pentagon.

As events come into sharper focus, the Hijackers on United flight #93 take control of the cockpit and heard the fight’s passengers together, threatening them with a bomb and box cutters. While civilian and military officals try to figure out their next staps and communicate with each other, the passengers communicate withh their loved ones via cell and air phones. They discover what has happened, come to realize what the hijackers are planning and band together to take action to try and stop them from using their plane as a weapon, possibly against the Capitol or White House. With determination and courage, the passengers take on the impossible odds to save thousands of lives on the ground.

Director and screenwriter Paul Greengrass has made several wise decisions that keep the fiilm from wondering off course and into shallow Hollywood territory. First, he avoids using well known actors in important roles, choosing instead to cast character actors. This allows audiences to connect with the persons portrayed as real people and not be distracted by celebrity. In fact, in several cases, Greengrass has the actual people, such as the East Coast air traffic supervisor , the NORAD commander and many of the Kennedy Airport air traffic controllers playing themselves and recreating what they said and did in real time.

Greengrass utilizes information from a wide variety of sources, including the 9/11 Report, the recollecxtions of those the passengers spoke with on the ground and records from cockpit voice recorders to put together a script that respects the facts, points no fingers of political blame and offers credible explinations for the few elements we can only guess act. This subtle approach that mixes the best elements of documentary and drama places a much more human and affecting face on this story than a typical disater movie-style plot would have.

Obviously those who already are apprehensive about flying should avoid this movie, as should those who are, justifyably, still enraged by the dispicable actions of the cowards who killed so many innocent people so cruelly. But if you want to see a truly outstanding story of courage and sacrifice, told with understated craftsmanship and sensitivity, “United 93″ is a film you should see. It stands above anything in theaters now and it is hard to imagine any movie or documentary surpassing it anytime soon.

MPAA RATING: R for profanity and violent images.
JOE’S RATING: FOUR STARS.