Matt, Jamie, and I went to see United 93 on Thursday. I was nervous about this film for a number of reasons. The primary reason is because 9/11 was never the all encompassing "big deal" for me when it actually happened. It makes me feel like I should feel like a bad person sometimes because I didn't "live through it like everyone else did," but at the time of the World Trade Center's final moments, I was in school. I had no access to a television, and it wasn't until many hours later, that I was even able to see already legendary footage of the second plane going into the second tower.

Of course, I feel for the families of those that were lost. That's without question. But because the one notice we got about the tower was through a brief, sterile PSA from the principal at like 10 a.m., I think most of us students assumed it was an accident, and we wouldn't have figured that the actual buildings would collapse. If anything, a truly sad event was nowhere near the catastrophe that was looming over minutes later, that we weren't told about at that point.

So I was afraid that I would see the very first non-documentary, visual interpretation of the events of that day and not feel humbled, devastated, or at least very moved. I was afraid the film would be bad; a melodramtic fictionalization parading to be actual events that no living person can confirm (but likely really hope for; we all hope our loved ones have to die, they'll go out fighting). I was partially relieved, but only partially.

First, I get (at least I hope it was intentional) the complete lack of "character development." This wasn't intended as a dramatic filmwork. There were no "actors" here, and there was no mysterious plot; essentially, it was a "day in the life" with no information about any of these very real human beings (as opposed to characters). We don't get to know them at all. Probably because we're on that plane too during most of the film, hoping against hope along with everyone else, that we --the good, innocent, and totally fucked people-- will be able to subdue the bad guys (more on them soon), and our fellow plane travelers don't know anything about us, either. It would cheapen the emotion if we went in knowing everything about these people; in fact, it's in the gradual pieces we do get and the uncertainty of these individual's accomplishments and potential that makes it all the more a tragedy. So kudos to the director for managing that.

The events that the film portray are certainly upsetting. However only two points of the film actually punched me in the spine where chills would be expected. Only one of them counts; the scene where the EMT woman leaves a message for her family on an answering machine. That just struck a chord; not being able to say goodbye face-to-face or even by voice. The second was actual news footage. The second plane going into the tower, while no incidental music plays, no dialogue runs over... it's a claustrophobic, powerful moment. But that's real life.

The real life is moving. The movie was not. It actually really bothers me that an event so agonized over and a film so controversial (for the sake of controversy, it seems) is rendered somewhat lifeless through limp, forced "dialogue" (the attempts to make the words spoken by the people in the film, particularly those not on the plane, failed; it sounded like a bad Lifetime script from the start), and footage so shakey it made Blair Witch look like it was filmed on a tripod. Now, the cinematography was effective for the take-over scene, when the passengers revolt against the terrorists, and that was good. Otherwise, it was distracting, looked cheap (or worse: cheesy), and gimmicky.

It also failed to say anything. If the film serves a point, it's the first "talkie" on the subject. It establishes what a world of people will do better (and I don't even mean make into a Titanicesque drama inspired by real events, which Matt stated he believes will happen eventually) will hopefully say better. It seems that this film was never intended to be a moral compass, and was just presenting facts before they were lost. Unfortunately, most of the facts just... aren't. No one knows where that plane was going, although the Capitol building is suggested and that's as good a guess as any. So it bothers me that the first film (as opposed to 'movie') to showcase the day just seems made for no other reason but to just lay the groundwork for someone else. It won't even incite dialogue. The only thing that this movie seems to be bringing to the table is "is it too soon to talk about this, yes or no?" And that's not a very good excuse for a movie or really open to that many varied responses, even if the answer seems to be yes. Yes, it is, because this movie seems to be expressing that there's not really a lot new to say in cinema right now. Imagine if those protesters of the film actually had something in this film other than it's existence, to complain about, because there's nothing (and in fact less) here that CNN hasn't already burned into our psyche and in far more gruesome, and beautiful ways.

It was difficult to not watch, though. The depictions of the human lives lost were intriguing, especially those of the terrorists. United 93 was very careful to not call anyone "wrong," but in fact those that hijacked the planes were doing it for a cause they believed in; they were praying just as loudly as the Christians on board, just for something else. It also showed one terrorist conflicted by the decision (more wishful thinking; we would like to think our "enemy" has a harder time disagreeing with us than they seem to, because since we're right, they should have a problem morally with their actions). That was bold on the part of the director, but ultimately further speculation that really isn't helpful right now. Almost 5 years after September 11, 2001, we just have more what-if's, and even if that's all we (the American public) got, they're just getting more and more blurred with probably-happened's and they'll well on their way to being "happened," without much growth to the analysis.

So, anyway. Step in a direction, which is something... But, all-in-all, seems to just be inconclusive speculation that isn't solving or saying much of anything.