United 93

Crystal and I made a rare trip to the movie theater last night to see United 93. Wow. We were impacted greatly.

I have been thinking a lot about the movie, and my mind had gone in a million directions. So, rather than writing a review, I have a couple of random thoughts:

• Many have questioned this film. Are we still too close to the actual events? Will this film be a chance for someone to push their political agenda? Will the circumstances of Flight 93 be trivialized? All I have to say is this film has somehow steered clear of all of these possible pitfalls. It is accurate and honorable.
• There is not one actor in this movie with which you are familiar. In fact, many of the roles are played not by actors but by the real life people who were working on Sept. 11, 2001. This adds to the realism and the "non-hollywoodesque" feel to the movie.
  
• Paul Greengrass was the perfect choice to direct this movie. If you have seen The Bourne Supremacy (which he also directed), you know that his style is gritty and real. He loves to use handheld cameras, which gives his films a "documentary-like" feel. That style worked sooo perfectly for this story.
• I expected that experiencing this movie would make me revisit my feelings on those fateful days in early September 2001. That didn't exactly happen. I think that for most of us, we felt so helpless as we watched this whole thing unfold on our television screens. Greengrass seems to have intentionally avoided showing that perspective. Every scene is seen through the eyes of someone who was in the middle of this. You are forced to view this story through the eyes of someone who has the opportunity to act.
• Speaking of perspective, as we talked after the movie, Crystal and I realized that we each took totally different perspectives. I found myself in the plane, questioning whether or not I would be able to act with such courage. Crystal, having read Lisa Beamer's book, found herself in the place of the family member at home who helplessly talks on the phone with their loved-one for the final time. While I was very emotional, I felt like I had just been injected with pure adrenaline. My will to survive was kicked into high gear and I was ready to fight for my existence. Going back to the previous point, this is not what I expected. Titanic is a tragic story that left you cold and numb. United 93 is a courageous story that almost excites you.
  
• The pacing of the narrative is perfect. The film moves rather slowly, and you already know exactly what is going to happen. So, you spend most of the movie waiting for the hijackers to act, and then waiting for the passengers to respond.
  
• Speaking of timing, I didn't realize this, but the length of the film is supposed to be realtime. The film is 121 minutes long. I guess that is about the amount of time it took for all of this to occur.
• It's rated R. That is for violence and language. I personally would have no qualms taking a teenager to see it. I think it is worth the experience and the ensuing discussion.
  

Anyway, that is all I have time for now. Needless to say, I highly recommend the movie.