Realistic and Serious on Terror

Rating: 9/10 (22 January 2019)

30 April 2006. The best 2006 movie yet, United 93 is gritty, raw, and real in the acting and particularly the sound effects. This powerful and emotionally enveloping movie provides a front row seat without the big budget, big studio performances. The acting feels authentic, the dialogue true to life (though of course much is fabricated in detail) based on the true outline of what is known. There isn't any sentimentality. But there are a few likely revelations regarding the United States aviation and military response that the general public wasn't aware that are likely true, particularly regards to other hijacked planes and the military and Federal Aviation Administration disconnect. The terrorists and the violence are handled respectfully. The apparent weaknesses in the movie come towards the end where the nice balance between the hostages on the plane, the FAA, and military scenes are exclusively taken over by the plane scene and the translation of the terrorists seems to stop at the end. The decision to focus on the third person observer position and hearing only one-sided dialogue over cell phones is a question that may never be answered. Overall, this is a powerful movie without answers, but allows the American people a greater appreciation of what likely happened at many levels of our country involved in United 93. Nine out of Ten Stars.