It's...Effective

Rating: 7/10 (17 September 2015)

How can a film so void of artistry be so effective? This is the question that lurked in my mind throughout United 93. The answer is simple: it's effective the same way watching news footage of the the planes striking the Twin Towers is effective--it confides in the sheer importance, and the Horrifying nature of these events. It's something real, something profound. But is that truly enough? Paul Greengrass thinks so.
So, what is the difference between this film and, say, Faces of Death? Well, that's a tough question. Both rely on the pretense that you're watching a horrific act unfold in real time in front of your eyes; neither film has any substance or characterization, nor do they pretend to. So, why is one critically praised and the other deemed pseudo- snuff? I honestly cannot answer that. I do not know.
Another film in the hyper-realism, docudrama genre is Gus Van Sant's 'Elephant', a film I've rated a 10 here on IMDb. The two are very similar in their approach. But what separates these two films is artistry. 'Elephant' is a film fluid in symbolism and meaning, 'United 93' is a film fluid in heedless chaos.
Nonetheless, 'United 93' is an intense and harrowing thriller despite it's ultimate empty- headedness. A film everyone should see once.
7/10