Difficult to watch but unexpectedly of high quality

Rating: 8/10 (10 July 2006)

I'm not certain exactly what I expected from this film, but the high quality of the production certainly beat my expectations. United 93 has a very strong feel of reality. It does not feel preachy nor is it forcing a "tug at the heartstrings" feeling. It does not even actually take a side. It simply says "this is what we believe happened". It portrays real people in a very shocking and terrible scenario as they attempt to identify what exactly is happening and what they can do to correct the problem and save lives.
This was a terribly difficult film to watch because we all know the story and the ending. But, I admire the film makers in the direction they took to simply let the story tell itself. And, they did it with great respect and with tremendous attention to detail. No over-acting, no over-used musical crescendos, but a tremendous amount of action and fine acting. A great script, as well. It may be too early for many Americans to watch, but it is a film I feel comfortable recommending to those who feel ready. It has a great sense of documentary, and I expect to see it shown in classrooms in the future.