Some Aspects of a believable Truth

Rating: 9/10 (6 April 2007)

If you are tired, and you still decide to watch a film, chances are big you will fall asleep sooner or later, regardless of the films quality. Your mind may be ready and willing, but the tiredness of your body is stronger. Yet, from time to time there are very few occasions were the film actually sets you awake. This is the effect United 93 will have. You won't get more tension, you won't get more drama, and still it is a decent film lacking exploitation or exaggeration. Of course, one might be tempted to say, what is depicted here is closer to reality because reality itself is portrayed. Then again, the exact details of what took place on that fateful flight will always remain a riddle. Many pieces have been found, but they can't make up a complete solution. Well aware of this, director Paul Greengrass, on his audio commentary, calls his film an attempt to present a "believable truth". - The 9/11 commission found out that the passengers on flight 93 were only seconds away from overwhelming the hijackers. Lines on paper can transfer that into readers minds; but it's images like here that create a lasting impact. So what you see may not be reality, but it's a believable account of how it might have been, and of many aspects in regard to how they must have been. Once seen, you'll never forget it. A film as terrific as it is memorable.