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Movie Reviews From A Family Perspective
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titles released after July 2005.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
This intense drama tells of the actions of 9/11/01 aboard the hijacked flight bound for Washington D.C. Told from the perspectives of the passengers, the flight crew and those monitoring the plane, the film shows how complete strangers united against a common enemy. Indeed, the film is a cautionary tale that states united we stand, divided we fall.
It’s not a faultless film. Clunky acting peppered with profane language and spasmodic cinematography are distracting at times, but it is one of the most potent films I’ve seen since The Passion of the Christ. Perhaps that’s because it’s about something that affects us all. In a time when even members of our own society are quick to point out the faults and foibles of America, assessing that we are ultimately the problem with the world, here’s a film that reminds viewers that we are the home of the brave, a people who look at a problem and resolve to fix it. While watching this film, you gain a true respect for the passengers of that ill-fated flight and the people on the ground who were determined to do their job and protect their countrymen.
The producers wisely hired unfamiliar faces to play the characters. What’s more, actual people who manned ground controls were employed to play themselves, thereby helping to avoid the distraction of celebrity. True, some of these performances lacked the pizzazz associated with the famous, but it resulted in giving the production an earthiness, while also avoiding thespian histrionics.
The day that changed the world remains fresh in our minds and as we sit there, the realization becomes clear that this war will be unlike any other. (How do you defeat devote zealots willing to kill themselves and innocent bystanders for a cause they believe is just?)
My only real problem with the film is the erratic movement constantly employed by the camera operator. A trend in movies, the not-so-steady hand-held cam serves to create tension and heighten a film’s pacing. But its overuse can become distracting, even nauseating. Its abundant use is indicative of a frugal filmmaker (a handheld camera doesn’t require time-consuming lighting setups) or of a filmmaker unsure of the potency of his script. But the tension and synergy are already built into United 93’s script. A spasmodic camera is simply unnecessary.
That said, I don’t think this photographic choice will distract audiences from the film’s tribute and warning. Though our country is at odds with its involvement in Iraq, the film makes it clear that we face an evil that masks itself as righteous. It is a film that will touch you, move you and make you think. United 93 is the most powerful film you’ll see this year!
R (as tension builds, the uses of the s-word and the f-word are heard (12 times). While I applaud this film for its potent message, beware that there are at least 14 profane uses of God’s name and His son. In frustration and fear, several characters uttered God’s name followed by a curse or used Jesus’ name as a mere expletive. A man is stabbed in the neck. Others are also stabbed during the hijacking. The threat of a bomb going off is always present. We see the destruction of the Twin Towers and a struggle in the cockpit before the plane’s demise. Lots of blood when one man is stabbed. We see blood on others. The subject matter is too intense for little ones. Indeed, the portrait of the events of 9/11 may be too disturbing for some adults).
Diane Lane, Dan Callahan, Colin Hanks, Billy Burke, Joseph Cross.
FILM SYNOPSIS: A cyber-psycho is being hunted by an FBI task force. But the tech-savvy Internet predator is staying several steps ahead of Special Agent Jennifer Marsh. What makes this story extra gruesome is the fact that the villain places his victims on the Internet and as each viewer tunes in, the torture becomes more deadly – until finally they die literally at the hands of the audience. As the game becomes more cat and mouse, Agent Marsh finds herself in the madman’s clutches.
REVIEW: Scary premise, nice performance from its lead, but borders the trendy “torture porn” brought to fashion by the Saw and Hostel films. It starts out with a fascinating premise; a nutcase using the internet to cause death. I say fascinating because you can’t help but wonder if such a crime is possible. The producers are counting on the ignorance of most of us concerning how the workings of computers and the Internet actually function. But by film’s end it descends into silliness. I can’t give away the ending, but the film becomes ludicrous if you actually think about how formidable this crazy guy would have to be in order to accomplish all the little details. Again, we as viewers are not supposed to analyze the goings on, just sit back and watch the torture: one guy gets captured, the website address carved into his chest, and we watch him die as the number of “hits” on the site cause poisoning to enter his system; another man is captured, stuck in cement with several sun-tanning lamps burning him to death – the hits cause the lambs to come on, thereby making the viewers accomplices; another gets secured to a chair in a huge vat of water – when viewers come to the site, it releases acid – he peels to death. Oh, and let’s not forget the very realistic news footage of a man committing suicide by shooting himself in the head, brain and blood splattering; he falls over a bridge and lands on a car. It looks so real. I’m assuming it’s not. Doesn’t that sound like fun?
R (Around ten obscenities; one profane use of God’s name by the film’s heroine; the term “oh my God” is heard a couple of times; several graphic depictions of people being tasered and bound – then tortured to death; a realistic suicide is depicted; a man is shot to death; we see the dead bodies – it’s gruesome; we see a vat filling with blood as acid eats away at a victim’s skin; we see blood spray when a man shoots himself in the head).
Running Time: Excessive.
Intended Audience: That’s the scariest
part – those who love torture porn walk among us.
© 2008 Good News Tucson™