United 93

The advanced talk about United 93 wasn't so much about the quality of the movie, but whether people wanted to see it. There are those who think it may be too soon after the events of 9/11 to see a fictionalized take on the flight of United 93, which was intended by its hijackers to crash into the U.S. Capitol, but instead was commandeered by passengers and crashed into a Pennsylvania field. I'm sure there are others who are put off by the idea that it may be exploiting the tragedy. I went in with an open mind, and I was mightily impressed.

The film works as a thriller, even if you knew nothing about the history. The only points of view in this film are from those on the plane (both hijackers and passengers) and the various air-traffic control centers, including the NORAD center. This keeps the melodrama at a bare minimum, and instead focuses on the mechanics of the event. It was fascinating to see how the controllers and military personnel reacted to the events as they unfolded, questioning a hijacking (which there hadn't been for over a decade) and then the horror when the second Trade Center building is hit.

A conventional disaster movie would have spent time with the passengers before take-off, telling us who they were. Instead, we don't even know their names, putting us almost in there situation, which makes for a more intense experience. Apparently director Paul Greengrass spoke with the families of all aboard and received their blessing.

For those who are shying away from seeing this, I'd like them to reconsider.