I am not including spoiler alerts in my review of the film. All of us know how the day played out and the film remains faithful to that.

Bewilderment. Franticness. Frustration. Desperation. Sadness. Madness. Depression. All of these and more are feelings you'll feel during the 105-minute flight of United 93. Paul Greengrass' latest effort involving one of the more tragic stories of September 11th may be one of the more important films of the past five years and even maybe the following.

Unlike A&E's ham-handed television movie Flight 93 earlier this year, the film doesn't focus on the doomed flight until the last 45 minutes. We do see brief glimpses of the flight prior to then, but the film's major focus is the frantic and ultimately tragic nature of how the morning of September 11th played out. While the film’s opening sequence sees the hijackers and passengers board the flight, most of the film's initial attention is devoted to that of what's going on regarding the various air traffic controllers, the FAA, and the military at NORAD as the first two hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center. While Greengrass continues to cut back and fourth through these various locations, nobody has the slightest clue of what is currently going on in the air. They do know that something terrible is happening above them and they don’t know how to make the madness stop.

After the film's first half, the attention shifts over to that of flight 93. Once the terrorists hijack the plane, the film reaches it’s climax and begins to take full swing of the audience’s emotions. We rarely get to know any of the passengers or stewardesses on the plane, but we do get to see how they’re (heavily) reacting to what is occurring around them. They have no idea what the hijackers’ plan is or what they’ll do to them. Some assume they’re hijacking the plane for ransom, others assume they’ll land the plane safely. It’s the moment the passengers begin to call their families and friends on the ground that they begin to realize their fates are sealed. While they still retain hope, we know what is going to occur.

The final ten minutes of the film happen to be the most gut wrenching and heartbreaking minutes I have ever witnessed in a feature film. As the passengers begin to retaliate against the hijackers in a hope to save their lives (and hopefully the lives of others), it’s just too hard and painful to watch. There’s a scene during the mayhem in which the passengers join together and start attacking the hijackers. As they proceed to gang up and murder one of them, it’s a scene that should call for celebration. The audience should be cheering as the passengers are overcoming the terrorists and still have a chance of survival. Yet, we know that the inevitable is yet to come. The ultimate scene of celebration is when the passengers finally make their way into the cockpit and try to regain control of the plane. As the plane makes it’s downward spiral towards the ground, everything cuts to black.

Unlike Wells’ review of the film, there is text after the film regarding what occurred after the plane crashed. The audience is told the military didn’t find out about United 93’s hijack until four minutes after it crashed. We are told that President Bush ordered the military to shoot down any airplanes that were suspected of being hijacked (in which the orders were never told down). We aren't told how America's war on terror has just begun. Instead, the final piece of text is how the film is dedicated to those who lost their lives on 9/11.

United 93 isn't a film that should praise our government in the name of patriotism nor should it belittle the people who reigned terror on that specific day. It's simply a film that retells the events regarding that of United flight 93. How franticness consumed the lives of many that day and how a group of people risked their lives not only to save themselves, but save others in the process as well.

As of now, United 93 is the best film released this year. Paul Greengrass deserves at least an Oscar nomination on his efforts. Some people may say this film is coming too soon, but when will it not be too soon?

Saw it. Never seen a movie that left at a loss for words as much as this one. I really felt as if this was not a film but as if I was actually there experiencing the events. This is an important movie that needs to be seen, but not by everybody, and definitely not immediately, as I feel its popularity will grow with time. If someone feels it is "too soon," then they need not view it now, but they need to view it eventually.
I would say the best strength of the film was Greengrass employing actual flight attendants, pilots, and people who were closest to the event. I also heard that the man who was the head of air security (can't remember his name, he was the grey haired man who said "we're at war with somebody") was not an actor but the actual person in that situation that day, to add more of a legit recreation. Furthermore, there was apparently no real script and a lot what actors playing the passengers said was more or less ad libbed. Keeping this piece devoid of any matinee names or stars was probably the best move someone could have taken in accomplishing the goal of realism, which was accomplished to the best degree possible on film IMO.

While it is a while, I feel that this film should be nominated for Best Picture and Director, and I will predict right now that it will win one of those honors. Definitely the most powerful movie of the year.

EDIT: Matthew, as one review said regarding the "too soon" argument, it is never too soon to honor heroes. I agree 100%.

Those who say this movie is "too soon" are missing (in my humble opinion!) one of the best movies of the last 4-5 years. It is intensely gripping and gut-wrenching to watch, and the images from that movie will stay with you for days. -eek-

This is a movie that deserves to be remembered strongly at Oscar time next year. :up:

Ben Sliney is the guy you're talking about. He was an air-traffic controller and 9/11 was his first day as the FAA Operations Manager. Could you imagine?

Sliney was originally brought on to the movie just as a technical advisor. But Greengrass felt that the actor that was playing Sliney wasn't right for the role, so he just had Sliney play himself.

I'd be really interested to see the numbers this film does this weekend. A good indication towards those future 9/11 films and seeing if folks are ready for something like this.

Wow, I thought he was since I had never seen him before. Great job..

I watched it today also. I didn't think I was ready for it at all but I woke up today feeling brave and I knew my friends were going to watch it. I'm glad I did. It's an extremely powerful movie. Would I watch it again? No.

I'm also really glad it was the first one to be released before we see Nicolas Cage and Oliver Stone do their take on it... and a few years down the road when even bigger names are attached and it's centered around a love story...

I think everyone should go see it. I REALLY didn't think I was ready. I don't even like talking about 9/11. It makes me uncomfortable and nervous. But I think the movie is important, extremely well-made and you will be missing it.

On another note, I didn't think it should have been Rated R... My friend got carded buying her ticket and again at the door. Two years ago, there were field trips to "Passion of the Christ". And they're REALLY going to try and keep people away from this movie?

Count me in as one who was deeply impressed with United 93. Anyone remember A&E's attempt at a similar movie with Flight 93? This film blew it out of the water. It's going to be the measuring stick to which other Sept. 11th films are going to be measured by. Clearly a great film with the guts to not make any overt political statements, but just sticking to that terrible two hours in American history.

It was a good idea not to include notable actors, but I did notice Gregg Henry as the Colonel coordinating the ROE (Rules of Engagement) with the government. BTW, since Hollywood has awarded actors playing real-life characters, can they nominate Ben Sliney for playing himself in this film?

I do think the "R" rating is correct, but if theaters can ignore the rules for a political documentary or a religious film of significance, one would think they could do the same in this case.


I can see it now...

Couple meets in NY two days before 9/11. They have a whirlwind fling that culminates with them on top of one of the two towers before the plane crashes. As the world around them goes to hell, they take comfort in each other right before the tower falls, killing them.

Bleeck. That's one of the reasons I hated Titanic.

just came back from it and i am penciling it in right now for Best Picture nod.....


this movie not only moved me but it was done so right...

:hscratch:

Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Passion of the Christ were exceptions (R movies with fewer restraints on who saw them.)

The critic on BoxOfficeMojo has a semi-negative review of the movie up, but for about the 20th negative movie review in a row, has some of the most illogical rationale I've ever read.

An R-rating signifies that children under the age of seventeen must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. This restriction wasn't lifted and the rules were not ignored - certainly not at my theater. Do you have documentation for theaters flouting those (voluntary, not legal) rules?

Remember, a 21-year-old fella can bring in 300 kids into an R-rated film if he likes. It's an R-rated film and they have an adult guardian.

everyone knows the US Army shot that plane down. it was a good movie, to bad it wasn't true.

Just saw it here in CA while on vacation. i had said that it was way too soon...but i just had to see it this weekend, especially knowing that part of the proceeds were going to a good cause.

I don't need to reiterate what others have said. it really hit me...HARD. I can't imagine what it would be like seeing this movie back at home in NYC. I was weeping through the credits. One woman was practically wailing behind me. lots of people crying. Apparently the entire premiere was the same.

This movie deserves all the accolaids it can gather.

I was in tears during the last ten minutes and until the end credits began rolling. I could hear a few of the older ladies around me crying as well, but once everybody was leaving the theater, everyone was dead silent.

Oh yeah. Completely dead silent...except for people crying. I heard people crying when the planes hit the towers as well. I thought I would be the only one crying when I saw that, since I might have been the only person in the theater in NYC the day it happened...but I guess I was wrong. I actually thought the crying might have been a part of the surround sound but, again, I was wrong. Bring kleenex. Or at least some napkins from the counter.

Probably THE BEST decision was having zero stars in this film. if you stay for the credits, there were actually a lot of "characters" who were played by the real people...not just the one main person.

Sorry if none of this is making sense. I'm really tired and emotionally spent. A helluva movie.

Great film. Complete silence upon exiting, something I've never experienced.

I didn't really notice anyone crying in the theater, but there was this crazy lady at the end that stood up and started to preach. Everyone walked out and ignored her, but it did kind of kill the atmosphere a little bit.

I still think I might wait to see this on DVD even though I do want to see it (especially after all the praise). But I am confident I will cry throughout the whole movie, not just the end. Might be best saved for home.

Saw it last night with my wife. Just echoing everything already said... I had chills running up and down my spine throughout the movie. You keep hoping for a happy ending but you know it's not coming so it just makes it excruciating. The final push by the passengers to get into the cockpit had me quietly cheering in my head. Even though they weren't able to save their own lives, they were still heros and possibly saved hundreds, if not thousands, of other lives.

This movie seems to have gotten everything right from what we know about that day. I think everyone should see it eventually. Very powerful, very good.

I'm just curious... why the about face?

I think with the critical praise this film is getting and the effect it has on people, it's gonna raise the bar high for Stone's upcoming 9/11 film. Even though I think these are 2 different takes on the event.

Not for this film, but there were several theaters that either changed the rating or ignored the self-imposed R-rated age restrictions for Fahrenheit 9/11 - my local theater being one of those.

The only one I can think of for "Passion" was a theater in some mid-western town. I realize I was stretching with that one.

Really. Even not yet having seen the film, I can tell the guy missed the point entirely and may have slept throughout the entire day of 9/11. He writes his review as though the film and characters are aware of what's happening to them and why.

I plan to see it today.

It was a theater-specific rule. Locally, many did not impose the the Guardian rule with F9/11 or Passion (the F9/11 was posted, The Passion was told to me through 2nd hand information). It changes location to location.

And in my hometown, last time I was there at least, you had to be 23 to buy tickets for R-rated movies for anyone other than yourself.

If it had an R-rating or not, I doubt many young people are going to go see this movie. Unlike Passion of the Christ which had it's religious zealots going in droves and Fahrenheit 9/11 which had it's hype, all this movie has is the "story" behind it. While the younger folks should care about what happened on this specific day in history, I don't think they have the attention span for a film which has an hour of constant chit-chatter before we see any sort of development on the flight itself.