United 93 (2006)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Thomas Burnett	Christian Clemenson
Sandra Bradshaw	Trish Gates	½
Todd Beamer	David Alan Basche	½
Mark Bingham	Cheyenne Jackson
Captain Dahl	J. J. Johnson
Deborah Welsh	Polly Adams
Ziad Jarrah	Khalid Abdalla	½
Saeed Al Ghamdi	Lewis Alsamari	½
Ahmed Al Haznawi	Omar Berdounni
Ahmed Al Nami	Jamie Harding

Review

Comprehensive and harrowing rendition of the events in that fourth 9/11 plane, directed skilfully in real time by Englishman Paul Greengrass (who also wrote the script). The film is naturally talky, bringing in a string of different characters, not all of which Greengrass can bring to life with the same vivaciousness. United 93 also meddles a bit too long depicting tactics and technicalities in flight control rooms, ostensibly in order to keep with its real time form. It doesn't mean the film seizes to engage; Greengrass' thoroughness and level-headed approach makes the film thought-provoking not only as a document of the most infamous terrorist attacks in modern times, but also as viewed from above, perhaps with more objective eyes than those who experienced 9/11 up close. Compared to its twin, TV-movie Flight 93, Greengrass' film is thematically broader, but doesn't get under the skin of the passengers on the plane in the same way. To be honest though, if you have seen one, you don't need to watch the other, as the similarity is inevitably striking. However, from two good films, my pick would be the less acknowledged Flight 93. It gives you more a feel of how it was up there during those tormenting minutes than United 93 is able to do.