In Honor of Those Who... Movie Review: United 93

Movie: United 93 (2006)
Starring: No one you know
Directed by: Paul Greengrass

United 93 grabbed a hold of my heart, and not even for one moment did the film think about letting it go. An hour after having left the theatre, I was still awestruck by what I had just seen.

Don't listen to your friends and family who tell you, "This movie shouldn't have come out....It's still too early". Don't let the horrible trailer that does absolutely no justice to this movie turn you away. Don't let false assumptions about United 93 get to your mind.

This is the film to see this year.

United 93 is shot after shot of cinematic beauty. It is the exceptional direction of this film that gives its emotion packed sequences so much intensity and feeling and what ultimately makes this movie succeed. The tactful use of many close up shots not only gives viewers a very detailed and clear look at the contrasted expressions of fear and courage of those on United 93, but more importantly connects the viewer to these victims on a very personal level. Director Paul Greengrass (Bourne Supremacy) is a genius when it comes to handling the rhythmic pacing of shots. As the film progresses and the situation of 9/11 gets worse and worse the overall shot duration become shorter and shorter; this works out magnificently for the film. The pacing of United 93's shots directly parallels the increasingly tense feeling of the movie. The use of a handheld camera also works towards the film's advantage giving it an extremely disturbing yet almost perfect feeling of realism.

One cannot talk about United 93 without taking into account its beautiful score. Greengrass skillfully inserts music at exactly the right places influencing the way the audience feels towards the film at any given moment with monumental success. When Greengrass wants you to be tense, you will be tense. When he wants you to be sad (and at times on the verge of tears) you will be sad. Music is of great importance to United 93's fulfillment as an emotional rollercoaster.

There are no famous Hollywood stars in United 93. None. Nada. Unless you are a film critic you probably have not heard of any of the actors and actresses. And there is a good reason for that. It's a film about everyday people like you and me and the courageous actions they undertook. Hollywood's big names were intentionally left out of the film because it wanted to depict the events that happened aboard United 93 as realistically as possible. If Tom Hanks were to play one of the passengers aboard the plane, the realistic nature of the film would have been shot down and burned to ashes. Don't be fooled into thinking that the acting is bad in this movie though, because it certainly is not. In fact, it is completely the opposite.

United 93 is a beautiful film that captures the events of 9/11, and more specifically the situation on United 93, with such precision and realism that it makes me feel as if it were just yesterday when I saw the twin towers shattered to pieces. Greengrass has made something very special here and it honors the heroic victims of United 93 with unmeasurable dignity and grace.

Rating: A+