AmateurMovieReviews.com

Rating: * * * * * (Out of 5)

United 93 was not at all what I imagined it would be. It was a hundred times better than what my expected. Even though five years have past since that tragic event, the memories of it have not faded; and they never will. It was a courageous decision to make a film about September 11.

The majority of people go to the movies to escape from the reality, and the movie factory that is Hollywood is good at churning out flicks that are as removed from reality as they possibly can… even movies that are based on real events. Director Paul Greengrass very intelligently avoids all the artificial drama that accompanies most Hollywood film. When the actual event was as shocking as 9/11, it is just unnecessary to add any more.

The film begins without any opening credits or opening music. The film is shot like a hyper kinetic documentary. The editing is fast and to the point. Barry Ackroyd's excellent cinematography utilizes natural lighting, and he is not afraid to have shadow on the actors' faces. It makes the viewers feel like they are in the middle of all the actions. John Powell's music is perfect as it heightens the tension but never calls attention to itself. The sound of the film is like a Robert Altman film with multiple layers of dialogue, but the sound mixing creates so much chaos but never confuses the viewers.

Another bold, but ultimately wise decision, was to cast non-recognizable actors. Greengrass even went as far as casting real life air control room staffs to play themselves in the film. The reason for this is that there is no preconceived notion of who they are. In a typical Hollywood movie, we would get the back stories of a few of the key characters and thus making them stand out as either heroes or villains. There is none of that United 93. The terrorists are not portrayed as villains and the passengers are not portrayed as heroes. They are portrayed as real, ordinary people. The scenes in the plane show us real human behavior instead of movie heroism. The way the film is presented, the viewers only get to see what is happening, almost in real time, of that fateful morning. Of course we know what is going to happen, but the present tense of the film puts us back in time to experience it again. Greengrass does not put the blame on anyone; the tone of the film is neutral. It does not comment on or make judgment on the events. It simply presents us a very realistic re-enactment of what happened, pieced together by the little evidence available to the best of the filmmakers' abilities.

I think the film's trailer really misrepresented what the film is about, and I think it turned off a lot of people, including myself. The trailer gave the impression that the film was like a thriller, and more damaging, it was like a typical Hollywood thriller. It almost seemed like the film or the studio was exploiting the event. Of course, Peter Greengrass' film is anything but. It is an exceptional film that is respectful to the events, to the people involved and especially to the victims. I am glad I finally saw it. Now I have a bad feeling that Oliver Stone's World Trade Center is going to be that typical Hollywood thriller in the United 93 trailer.

Written and directed by Paul Greengrass; director of photography, Barry Ackroyd; edited by Clare Douglas, Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson; music by John Powell; production designer, Dominic Watkins; produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lloyd Levin and Mr. Greengrass; released by Universal Pictures. Running time: 115 minutes.

WITH: As the Flight 93 Crew: JJ Johnson (Capt. Jason M. Dahl), Gary Commock (First Officer LeRoy Homer), Polly Adams (Deborah Welsh), Opal Alladin (CeeCee Lyles), Starla Benford (Wanda Anita Green), Trish Gates (Sandra Bradshaw) and Lorraine G. Bay (Nancy McDoniel). As the Flight 93 Passengers: David Alan Basche (Todd Beamer), Richard Bekins (William Joseph Cashman ), Jane Folger (Susan Blommaert), Ray Charleson (Joseph DeLuca), Christian Clemenson (Thomas E. Burnett Jr.) and Liza Colon-Zayas (Waleska Martinez). As the Flight 93 Hijackers: Khalid Abdalla (Ziad Jarrah), Lewis Alsamari (Saeed al-Ghamdi), Omar Berdouni (Ahmed al-Haznawi) and Jamie Harding (Ahmed al-Nami). At the Herndon, Va., control center: Ben Sliney (as himself). At Northeast Air Defense Sector: Maj. James Fox (as himself).