United 93 (2006)


A powerful achievement






United 93 tells the tale of the passengers onboard the United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during the September 11th attacks.









Paul Greengrass's decision to use unknown actors to play the roles really adds to the film to make it feel more authentic, because without any big stars, it doesn't take you out of the film, making this feel less like a Hollywood movie and more like the reality of what happened. But the use of unknowns doesn't hinder the film in any way, as the actors manage to really effectively portray the shock and fear of what is happening astoundingly well. The actors especially manage to stand-out in the tear-jerker of a scene where the characters make one last call to their love ones.

Paul Greengrass wisely choses to focus upon telling the story rather than securing a big name star to lure the audiences in, and really manages to treat the subject matter with the utmost respect it deserves. The film is shot documentary style, and this is a technique that's effectively used, as it really adds on to make you feel like you are watching a documentary rather than a motion picture film.

No joke captions here, not for this review


What makes United 93 even harder to watch is the fact that we already know the outcome of the passangers. We know that their attempt to take the plane back won't work, we know that there won't be some last minute save accompanied by a traditional Hollywood happy ending, we know the reality of what will happen, and it's really quite gut-wrenching to see the characters getting onboard the plane, talk about their family, plan things out for the future, not knowing what terror will befall them.

United 93 is a powerful film that really reminds us of the tragedy that the world endured on September 11th, 2001. It is a film that may be too much for some people, but people often forget that cinema isn't just here to entertain, but also to make us think, to inform us and to stir emotions inside of us. United 93 is proof of that.

Comments

MP said…
Great review man its a very powerful movie.
Jeff SC said…
I agree. I love how there weren't any big stars, it would have made it seem much less authentic. Great review, Rodders!
AdamMoody said…
Wonderful review man!! I shamefully have not seen this in a long time, I am going to get my ass in gear now.
HarleyQuinn said…
This seems like the type of movie that if there was too much executive power, would be stuffed with stars and thus robbed of its power. I would definitely like to see this movie sometime soon. great review!