I avoided this until now because i really don't care for the exploitation of this event for dollar bills and assumed it would be overly sentimental xenophobic shite, but its inclusion on several top lists including the 21st Century Top 250 from TSPDT made me think twice. I was wrong.

Sobering is the best word to describe it. The events of 9/11 are still surreal to me, i vividly remember being pulled out of school despite being British. I had to youtube the crashes in morbid fascination to make sure that they actually happened. A harrowing reality shown in unsentimental apolitical fashion and with the intensity to make you briefly forget this isn't Hollywood.

Never thought I'd have to sit through THAT again... The passage of time has done nothing to tone down its ghoulishness nor increase its insight. Accomplished and unbearable.

26/100

Review from my VOD column "This Week on Demand".

Among the more well-known of the huge range of films dramatising the events of 9/11, Paul Greengrass’ United 93 follows in the footsteps of the director’s Bloody Sunday as it expounds in real time the fate of the eponymous flight, which crash-landed before reaching its assumed Washington target. Greengrass’ trademark handheld style brings a nail-biting intensity to the on-board struggle between passengers and terrorists, his final half hour an almost unbearably tense—and, more impressively, affectingly emotional—evocation of these events. The problem lies in the preceding hour, the requirements of meeting feature length seeing the first flights’ collisions dramatised through several intercut scenes in national and local control centres, standard sequences that—as evidenced by their eventual abandonment—have little more to offer the film than filler. Weighed down by the perfunctory nature of these additions, United 93 is merely a third of a great film, but my what a magnificent third it is.

Been avoiding this and World Trade Center and finally decided to watch United 93 with the help of some liquid courage. I'm now an emotional wreck.

There could have been a ton of wrong ways to make this film, particularly since it was released so near the events of 9/11. Likewise, there could have been some very obvious choices and cliches that Greengrass earnestly tries to avoid. With its realtime structure and concern for an honest recreation of the events, United 93 manages to avoid being exploitative and does provide as accurate a recreation of the fated flight to the best that sources allowed. While the ending of the film may be deemed bleak it is really the only option that could suffice, particularly considering the concern for accounting for the experiences of this particular flight.

http://cinemalacrum.blogspot.com/2013/06/lets-roll-come-on-lets-go-already.html

Full review here:
mattslifeinfilm.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/united-93-2006/

I don't really know where to begin with this film. It is excellently made and handles its serious subject with the respect it deserves. I appreciated the apolitical nature of the film, it is a harrowing dramatization yet real-time reconstruction of the events on 9/11. I think this is a tribute to the humanity and bravery shown on 9/11 not only by those on United 93 but those who donated time and resources, compassion and prayers for those who lost love ones in the attacks. Although it is intense and hard to watch I found it a cathartic experience.

The only 9/11 movie I've seen that works and doesn't come off as offensive or exploitative in any way. Granted, I haven't seen many 9/11 movies. In fact, there aren't that many 9/11 movies. But if there were, I probably wouldn't have seen that many.

Anyway, the buildup of this movie reminded me a lot of Studio 60 (which should be taken as a compliment to the dialogue). Except instead of being a look at behind-the-scenes of an SNL-esque sketch show, it's a look at behind-the scenes of one of the most tragic events in American history.

And then the last 20-30 minutes contains just some of the most intense and haunting filmmaking of the 2000s.

This movie, far more than World Trade Center (2006), captured the emotional impact that 9/11 had. In reality, we have very little idea of what happened on flight 93, but it was extremely interesting watching the movie come together. Though biased, seeing as how I am an American, this movie was excellent.

Every time, literally every time I watch United 93 it totally blows my mind. I simply cannot review this movie because of its cinematography. All I can and will say is that my thoughts are, even after so many years, with families and friends. I know it's a movie and some things may be altered to make it even more dramatic, but that doesn't change my opinion on this movie.