The Personal Canon is a recurring column highlighting my favorite films of all time. While they may not necessarily be "A" rated, they are the movies that, for some reason or another, hold a special place in my filmgoing experience.
United 93 (2006)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
The story of the passengers and crew is already well known so there's no need to discuss the premise of United 93, so let's instead focus on the experience as a film. Paul Greengrass (best known for directing the final two installments of the Bourne series) is masterful in both his writing and direction of this flick. Fast-paced and moving at a rapid click, Greengrass utilizes a handheld camera, but never allows it to get to a sickening shaky level. Jumping back and forth between the goings-on inside of the United 93 aircraft and the reactions of the air traffic controllers and governmental armed services responding to the hijacked aircraft, Greengrass creates a sense of unease, uncomfortableness, and tension. Certainly aiding the film's flow, the events are presented in real time once United 93 lifts off the ground and the sense of distress is immensely palpable with each frame of the film further intensifying what we the viewers already know is the inevitable conclusion.
Oddly (and surprisingly effectively), Greengrass never introduces us to any of the characters by name. Much like the passengers themselves wouldn't have known each other, we in the audience look at the heroic group as one entity. The choice of choosing no big name actors (and in certain cases casting the actual air traffic controllers on duty that day and real life flight attendants to create authenticity) certainly aids in bringing about this sense of "group one-ness" rather than a notion of "individualized" people. Still, we still find ourselves connecting with each person as they make their final phone calls to their loved ones and as they begin to formulate their plans to bring down the terrorists. We will never know exactly what went on during United 93's journey, but Greegrass culls believable dialog and actions from the real life phone calls made by the passengers. There are no knights in shining armor here, just "real" people responding to events they never thought they'd be a part of. Despite the lack of star power, it's a superbly well-acted film with every single actor performing at top notch levels.
Banding together, denying the terrorists their victory, and sacrificing themselves in the process, the flight and crew of United 93 were certainly heroes and director Paul Greengrass tells their story in a documentary-type manner that singles none of them out. United 93 is not a film that everyone is going to be able to watch. It's intense and at times agonizing to view, but simply from a cinematic standpoint it really is a marvel. When you couple the fantastic film aspects with a story that simply touches the heart of me as an American, you get a film that is an important one. Granted, it's one that I don't need to watch for another several years due to the sheer displeasure of the story itself, but it's a film that I imagine I'll revisit in time to get a glimpse at the true patriots that were aboard that fateful flight. While there may be more to come, United 93 is by far the best cinematic account thus far of the events that Tuesday morning ten years ago.
Oddly (and surprisingly effectively), Greengrass never introduces us to any of the characters by name. Much like the passengers themselves wouldn't have known each other, we in the audience look at the heroic group as one entity. The choice of choosing no big name actors (and in certain cases casting the actual air traffic controllers on duty that day and real life flight attendants to create authenticity) certainly aids in bringing about this sense of "group one-ness" rather than a notion of "individualized" people. Still, we still find ourselves connecting with each person as they make their final phone calls to their loved ones and as they begin to formulate their plans to bring down the terrorists. We will never know exactly what went on during United 93's journey, but Greegrass culls believable dialog and actions from the real life phone calls made by the passengers. There are no knights in shining armor here, just "real" people responding to events they never thought they'd be a part of. Despite the lack of star power, it's a superbly well-acted film with every single actor performing at top notch levels.
Banding together, denying the terrorists their victory, and sacrificing themselves in the process, the flight and crew of United 93 were certainly heroes and director Paul Greengrass tells their story in a documentary-type manner that singles none of them out. United 93 is not a film that everyone is going to be able to watch. It's intense and at times agonizing to view, but simply from a cinematic standpoint it really is a marvel. When you couple the fantastic film aspects with a story that simply touches the heart of me as an American, you get a film that is an important one. Granted, it's one that I don't need to watch for another several years due to the sheer displeasure of the story itself, but it's a film that I imagine I'll revisit in time to get a glimpse at the true patriots that were aboard that fateful flight. While there may be more to come, United 93 is by far the best cinematic account thus far of the events that Tuesday morning ten years ago.
The RyMickey Rating: A
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