07-03-02 United 93 (2006)

Seen: March 1, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 7

I'd been putting off seeing this for a while. I'd heard it was good, even great, but little doubts pulled at the back of my mind.

"I already know what happens."

"It'll be heavy. I'm not in the mood for heavy drama."

"I'll bet it over plays the whole tragedy angle."

Watching it was like going to the Dentist. You put it off, knowing that it'll be good for you, but not wanting to deal with it. You worry, you procrastinate, you postpone. And when you finally go, it's not nearly as bad as you'd imagined, and you feel so much better for having done it. Finally watching United 93 was just like that, only without the actual physical discomfort.

The film did an excellent job of portraying events that we are intimately familiar with in a interesting, informative and dramatically effective way. The performances in this film are generally understated, and I mean that in a very good way. For the most part, the characters in this film are normal people, going about their normal day. The performances reflect that. The mundane nature of the actions of the characters are familiar and comfortable; and this draws very effectively into their reality. Many of the air traffic controllers (and some other roles) were played by non-actors, but by actual air traffic controllers. There was only one performance that bothered me, coming across as a bit over inflated, stilted and melodramatic. See if you can spot it when you watch it.

The one aspect of the film that I really dreaded was the potential for a “play” feel. I feared that the film would be predominantly set in the plane itself, and that the action would revolve entirely around the passengers, crew and terrorists on that flight. This concerned me because I didn’t feel that a feature-length film could be made solely of that content. I didn’t believe that a film this long could remain compelling in that limited scope.

The film makers don’t make this error. There are several coincident story lines spanning several air traffic control centers, what I assume is the FAA’s headquarters, and a military command center. While the film focuses on 93, it unfolds the entire morning of 9/11 from a unique viewpoint, and in a very visceral fashion.

See this one. It’s worth your time.

The Good: A taut, well written and directed film that presents the events of 9/11 in an interesting and informative fashion.

The Bad: Documentary feel tends to keep the audience at a distance. Seems a shame for a memorial film.

TheUgly: Not a pretty film. Shot with handheld cameras, it maintains a flat, documentary style, desipte the camera's integrated POV in many cases.


Full Disclosure: I have a dentist appointment next week.