|
Directed by: Paul Greengrass Starring: Christian Clemenson, Gregg Henry, David Alan Basche First of all, it's very hard to say what's good about this movie. I really can't say a lot, because there's not a lot to tell. This movie is an emotional rollercoaster first and foremost. The plot isn't very hard to figure out if you've lived on this planet for the last five years. Three planes reached their targets on September 11, but this is a movie about the fourth plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, due to the heroic efforts of some of the passengers. Greengrass chose, suitably, to film this in an extreme documentary style with 99% handheld shots (think shaky shots ala The Bourne Supremacy). This gives the movie a very realistic feel. The cinematography is virtually inconspicuous, and I truly felt like on of the passengers when I watched it in the theatre. This movie was so intense. The last 30 minutes were incredible, and I don't think I've been this emotionally invested in a film for a very long time. United 93 is not a character driven movie, nor dialogue driven. It's about showing the true feelings of horror the passengers experienced when they realized that they were going to die. It's a movie about the utmost sacrifice a human can make to another: to give your own life so that others can be safe. I don't know what to say, really. You have to see it for yourselves. RATING: 5 PROS: Extremely emotionally involving, straight-forward story, no flag waving. CONS: The first half hour can get a bit boring with the technical mumbo-jumbo from air traffic controllers - it felt like most of the dialogue was incomprehendable for a majority of the audience. Perhaps too much focus was put on people outside the plane. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475276/
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2006 00:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 17:23 |
|
|
While watching this film, it does not feel like you're watching a movie - it is moreso a recollection. My mind automatically thought back to that day and what I was doing at the time, all the emotions I was feeling. The whole experience felt very realistic. It was very well done for such a sensitive subject. I hope that a good portion of the money made off this film goes towards a good cause. Despite the controversy, I give this film a... 5/5 hakeem fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Apr 30, 2006 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2006 03:37
|
|
|
It starts off slow and somewhat tedious, but the minute the hijackers yell their first "Allah Ackbar" the rollercoaster begins. It really is hard to describe the emotions you feel when watching this. You see the passengers crying on the phone to their families, you see the pilots get murdered, you see the hopelessness, and it's infinitely, immeasurable worse because you know. You know this isn't a movie. You know that this really happened. And when you see the inescapable knowledge of death cross their faces, you feel like you're right there with them, about to die too. I left the theater after the 100 minute running time, walking slowly into the night air, and I realized something wasn't right. I was sweating. 5/5 Edit: After the credits began and people slowly walked in silence to the exits, I saw one woman that looked in her 20s cup her hands and yell "SOMEBODY NEEDS TO IMPEACH BUSH!!!"  Then a couple of other people yelled YEAH!! 
Insidious fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Apr 30, 2006 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2006 03:57
|
|
|
It was ok. I think 9/11 was so tragic, a movie can't really capture what it was like for these people and their families. The movie tries to stir emotions, but it doesnt compare to how I still feel when I see pictures/video from that day. 3/5
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2006 04:34
|
|
|
I don't see any way a better movie could have been made about this subject. There are no "Hollywood type heroes", there are no politics or patriotic bullshit, and there is no false dramatization (like Titanic or any other disaster movie). This is as close to Documentary as it gets, and while being almost a documentary, this is the most emotional rollercoaster you will see all year. From feeling hopelesness in the beginning to absolutely terrified in the end, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2006 17:59
|
|
|
Hi I'm an idiot who mistook the Film Dump as a place to spew pathetic conspiracy poo poo. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2006 06:16
|
|
|
buavita posted:Shut the gently caress up you idiot. Anyway... I just saw this movie last night and let me say something, wow. The movie, as a movie, was very well made, and did very well in capturing the chaos that was 9/11 in both Air Traffic Control and United 93. The movie does a great job in capturing the emotions as well of the crew/passengers/everyone else that they put in the movie both before and during the attacks. Also, the movie did not feel Hollywoodized at all. "Let's Roll" was nothing more than a casual whisper and everything else felt very appropriate from what we know about what happened. Too soon for something like this? Perhaps, but I don't think so, yet some people do (i.e. the lady that ran out of the movie theatre screaming "WHATS OUR ADMINISTRATION DOING?! WHERES OSAMA?! BLAH BLAH" *throws poo poo around*). As I walked out of the movies, I wanted to cry. 5.5/5 The best movie I never want to see again. But for those of you who haven't, do it.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2006 18:46
|
|
|
As a fan of historical dramas, this is one of the best. The meticulous re-construction of events and interactions is so detailed and precise, you cannot help be drawn into the realism of it. Even exceptionally subtle details, like Mark Bingham's slight lisp, reveal all the truths about the story without ever making it forced. Even the use of timing to show the overlaps of what was occuring in the cockpit while the passengers take action is brilliant. The film does its best to create the exact details that we know from reports, interviews, and the 9/11 commission report. Now apart from the historical realism, there is also the issue of emotional impact. Going into the film, you know the ending and it makes the film that much worse. Hearing lines of dialogue that you only recognize from black box crash tapes is the sort of chilling reminder that this is not a typical Hollywood suspense tale. You know how it ends, and no matter how hard you want a Hollywood ending, it never arrives. 5
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2006 19:44
|
|
|
Iroqouiz posted:CONS: The first half hour can get a bit boring with the technical mumbo-jumbo from air traffic controllers - it felt like most of the dialogue was incomprehendable for a majority of the audience. Perhaps too much focus was put on people outside the plane. As far as the Authenticity, the movie had gotten it perfect when it came to ATC SOP's (Controllers attempting to confirm Squawk 7500 transponder codes for Hijacking, using other air traffic in the area to confirm visibility of Flights, Clearing local airspace, etc...) , FAA Airspace regulations, and also the Military SOP's when it came to Rules of Engagement and Airspace priority for Scrambling fighters. I thought it was interesting as I know alot of these terms from the various aviation books I've read through the years. As far as the movie, as others have said, its a emotional roller coaster and in the big theater with the sound and with the camera work in the movie, you will feel as if you are on board the plane itself 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2006 07:33
|
|
|
The pacing of United 93 is faithful to the pacing of the day that many felt on 9/11. The film starts off slow and dry and really sets the initial tone, then confusion sets in and before you know it, the horror of the entire situation has dawned upon you. Greengrass handles the material very respectfully to the victims of that flight and he does not in anyway exploit the tradgedy or play up the characters to get tears out of the audience. On the same not, I am rarely as shaken emotionally watching films as I was watching United 93. The film is brutally honest, and does not pull any punches. It does not glorify or demonize the terrorists nor do the passengers fit any heroic archetypes even though their actions were courageous. The air traffic and military were working as hard as they could and helmed by decent upstanding citizens but utterly failed in halting the attacks of that day. 9/11 is shown for the dirty and ugly act that took place without the need to preach through dialogue or unneccesary conflicts. The characters were very real and I'm glad there was no "star power" harnessed. 5.5/5 Oh Dear God No fucked around with this message at 08:07 on May 4, 2006 |
|
#
?
May 4, 2006 07:49
|
|
|
Stuff I appreciated about this movie (no point using spoiler tags): I didn’t know any of the characters’ names at any point while watching – it’s very visual and you identify people by how they look, not their names. No back story on any of the passengers on the plane – or any of the other characters for that matter. When they cut between the hijacker pilot praying in Arabic and the passengers praying the Lord’s Prayer in English. When they showed the passengers saying goodbye to their families there were no shots of tearful relatives on the other end of the line. No ridiculous conspiracy theories. No jingoism. One of the passengers did say “let’s roll”, but it was subdued and when they were getting their courage up to attack the hijakers, not a Rambo-type triumphalistic scream. I didn’t recognize any of the actors. In fact, the head FAA guy wasn’t even played by an actor, but by the actual person. None of the characters did a bad job. The air traffic people and military all were competent and professional. No easy outs by pointing fingers. A downbeat ending. You know what’s going to happen when you enter the theater – the plane is going to crash – but it’s still shocking to see a movie actually end that way, as we’ve all been conditioned by years of films and television with happy endings, or at least life-goes-on denouements. In United 93, the plane crashes and the screen goes black – that’s it.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2006 23:02
|
|
|
This movie was a powerful film. You feel as though you're on the plane. you know how it's going to end, but you're still hoping against the obvious. I would have preferred to see a little more outside the plan, such as the relatives on the other ends of the final calls, or more of the ground control in the final moments. The complete lacking of USA go go USA go was also a welcome relief. I was skeptical that it would creep into the movie by the end, but this was ultimately a story of the passengers and hijackers, and, to a lesser extent, those in control on the ground. The ending was brutal. A lot of people in the theater cried, and it was probably the most quiet exit from a movie I can remember. 4.5
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2006 21:02
|
|
|
Before seeing this movie I really thought that it was too soon for something like this. I almost wanted to go in and see a bad movie in the hopes that it would vindicate my feelings about it. I was wrong. The movie was extremely well done and had me moved. I was so nervous watching it and when the climax was getting ready to happen I had the most awful feeling of nervousness and emptiness knowing that those people were going to die. It choked me up right at the end and that's a far cry from how I came into the theatre. I feel now that this movie was necessary maybe not because it's needed right now, but that it can be viewed many years from now and provide a picture of the fear and loss felt on that day. 4.5
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2006 04:35
|
|
|
I'm honestly not sure what to make of this film. As others have said, I would never see this film again, though it is not by any means a bad movie; it manages to captures the pandemonium of 9/11 succinctly without romanticizing the events that took place in the least bit. There is no jingoism, the terrorists - while portrayed as the scum they are - are portrayed realistically, and it does not make the heroes of flight United 93 out to be a gang of Jack Bauers. In fact, we know little to absolutely nothing about the characters, not even their names. This, I feel, was the right way to handle it; the heroes of United 93 were portrayed as any average faceless person you walk past everday who managed to do something extraordinary in an extraordinary set of circumstances. No trumpets blared when they killed the two terrorists or broke into the cockpit; there was just silence once the plane hit the ground. This is what made the film so effective and so realistic. There was little to no music throughout the film, the camera was shakey and the shots were sporadic, and the dialogue was short, to the point, and as frantic as it probably was on that day. It's just one big emotional nightmare, forcing you to relive that day again, though flowing smoothly from start to finish. I was surprised at the amount of good reviews this movie was getting and that is the only reason I went and saw this movie; I pretty much had to drag a friend to even see it, because he and I had joked about this being nothing more than a way to cash out on the tragedy of 9/11. Well, it still could be, but there could not have been a better movie made about the subject nor could it have been done in better taste, despite being uncomprimisingly brutal, depressing, and tense from start to finish. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 18, 2006 08:30
|
|
|
Does anyone else remember when Hollywood was all, "We will NEVER make a movie out of this!"? That fact alone sort of ruins it for me. It's far enough away that it seems like it's sincere, but close enough so that it's just emotional manipulation for profit. Ajaarg fucked around with this message at 08:55 on May 21, 2006 |
|
#
?
May 21, 2006 08:52
|
|
|
Finally went to go see it. I caught myself hoping they would bring the plane back into the air. The whole thing was almost ruined by two very rude 80 year old couple. They were very rude because they talked very loudly during the blackout and text. They even laughed a couple of times at very inappropriate moments. Anyway, very good movie. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2006 03:14
|
|
|
The ending of this completely silenced the theatre. Walking out was completely surreal, no one was talking, everyone was just shocked at what they saw. The movie started out a bit slow for me and how the terrorists entered the cockpit was a bit corny. The pilot gets the message, "Watch out for cockpit intrusion." Then he hears the flight attendant scream and decides to OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR. Maybe I'm used to all the post 9/11 precautions now, but that doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do at the time. I was also surprised they didn't try to throw soda cans at the terrorists, especially after realizing that two planes had hit the towers from people on the phone Tear jerker ending though, you can't really spoil it, you know it is going to happen, but the uplifting music and breaking through the cockpit door... wow. 4.5 / 5
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2006 09:22
|
|
|
Finally got around to seeing it and it was excellent. They spent just enough time in the plane to let the viewers see the horror, but not long enough that they had to make up conversations, all the talking by people were simple phrases that is very believable were said on the plane. I wasnt sure if I was ready to see it in the theater, but I went to the last showing on a Wed. night so there were only about 4-5 other people besides my girlfriend and I so it felt ok. One of the very few movies that I teared up in at the theater Dont think I could watch it surrounded by strangers. 5/5 A tip for people going to see it, dont think about it as a sad movie, think about it as a movie about heroes. I really dont get what the 15 critics who found bad (from rottentomatoes) were watching, if they didnt like this movie, they dont like movies about real life
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2006 01:24
|
|
|
I didn't want to see this film, I thought it would be a "god bless america 9/11 NEVAR FORGET!!!111" kind of movie. I was half expecting it to be pearl harbour with terrorists, you know a lovely love triangle, heroised characters and a typical hollywood script. I was wrong. I don't have much emotional investment towards what happened on 11/9, it wasn't my country that was attacked and poo poo happens all over the world, so I was purely watching this movie to be entertained. The format worked well, they captured the panic and confusion of the people on the ground perfectly, I liked the 30 min or so of technical mumbo jumbo, it gave a sense of being there. As for the finally, that has to be one of the best pieces of cinema I have ever seen, the fight looked real and dirty, as if people were fighting for their lives not some lovely over coreographed (engrish sorry) heros vs villans piece. Even without knowing a single characters name I was routing for them at the end, wanting them to reach the controls in time. I'm rambling, so i'll just finish up by saying, even if you couldn't give two tosses about 9/11 do see this film just because it's a brilliant piece of cinema and a breath of fresh air from remakes and formulaic movies you've seen 100 times before. 5/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2006 23:48
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 17:23 |
|
|
It felt like someone took a camcorder up onto the plane and the footage was somehow found, right the way to the last gutwrenching moment when the ground rushes up and then it fades to black. I work in a cinema and I have seen the ending to this movie maybe four times, and it never does get any louder when people leave. When I saw the ending today I heard someone crying in the back row. A very powerful film. A fitting tribute to those who died. 5/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2006 21:48
|
|