So far, the best of 2006 and one of the finest films I've seen

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2006)

I was terribly skeptical of just how this film would be presented, especially in light of the incredibly sensitive subject. Only the most delicate and tasteful handling would be accepted by a weary public and this would be no easy feat. This being said, I must say I am still, with each repeat viewing I see, utterly blown away by every aspect of it. I personally own more than 2,000 films on DVD and definitely consider myself an aficionado of all cinema and a tough critic of all but the best of the best. This is one of those films. You won't find any box office superstars starring in this film -- the cast is almost entirely "regular folks". Though I am not an air traffic controller, I am a very big fan of Microsoft's Flight Simulator; that being said, *everything* I've noticed in the film seems incredibly well-studied and realistic. The cockpit layouts, alarm sounds, even the banter of the controllers seems absolutely authentic and I would not be surprised to find a very tight script that echoes all available real world data -- from ATC tapes to radar tracks to personal testimonies of the personnel from all agencies portrayed in the film. Do not miss this one unless it is too difficult for you to watch. This resets the bar in film.