Powerful beyond belief...

Rating: 10/10 (10 May 2006)

After teetering between a 9 and 10, I have decided to give this movie a 10 for the impact it had on me. A couple weeks after seeing the movie, I still can't get the images of the brave passengers of United 93 out of my head; I still tear up every time I think about how they sacrificed their lives so that the terrorists could not destroy one more building (and probably kill more people in the process); and I still get angry every time I think of what happened on 9/11/2001. This movie brought back painful memories of that day that need to be brought back, just because we live in a country that often forgets too easily.
Don't worry, I won't go into any political statements here, as this space is reserved for movie reviews. As a movie, "United 93" is meticulously done, with no hint of exploitation at all. Like everyone else, I was afraid of the "Tom Cruise Action Hero" syndrome where some of the passengers are played by top name action stars and do some unrealistic heroics (those were saved for M:I3, thank goodness! =P), and we get cheesy background stories of each and every passengers so we can "sympathize" with them more. I doubt we need to know much about the passengers of the flight to sympathize (or empathize) with them. The situation itself, the fear and terror of having a bomb on a plane, the knowledge that 3 planes already crashed into 3 landmark buildings in the US, and the final realization that they must do something that will guarantee death to stop this plane from doing the same, is powerful enough that no other traditional movie plot devices are necessary to add to feelings that we as the audience have. I am VERY glad that Paul Greengrass, the director realized that and did the movie a la "documentary" style. What turned out is a movie that way more powerful in its simplicity than any other movies with a lot more "fluff" around them.
The choice to pick actual people to play themselves (the FAA director, the military commander, etc) was brilliant, as well as picking no-name actors who can still act really well. This way the audience really sees what the people felt on that fateful day, and are not distracted by famous actors and realizing they're just acting a part. All the actors did a great job in portraying the emotions of that day, and the editing is tight and well paced. The only complaint I have is the shakiness of the camera. I know it was on purpose to show the chaos and spontaneity of the event, but for people like me who get motion sickness from that type of movement (see my Constant Gardner review) it was really difficult for me to sit through the movie (for various other reasons too).
As for the terrorists, I really felt that they were portrayed in a very neutral light, and I applaud the director for this decision. It is all too easy to demonize them as mass murderers with no humanity in them, but there is always a flip side of the coin, a story behind every action. They believe as strongly about what they're doing is right as the passengers on the plane believing that fighting back is the right thing. It is an unfortunately clash of beliefs and cultures that had tragic results, and the movie clearly and unflinchingly showed this.
All in all, a brilliant film that captures the confusion, the fear, the terror, and the shock of 9/11 without an ounce of fluff, exploitation, or unnecessary material. I STRONGLY recommend people to go watch this, even if it will be very difficult and painful, because the victims and heroes of that day deserve to be remembered and honored, and this is a great film made to honor them.