United 93

Paul Greengrass, who has already courted controversy with his film on Bloody Sunday, again deals with a difficult subject. This time it is 9/11 and he comes up with a triumph.

The film is a real time portrayal of what happened on flight 93, when the plane, allegedly heading for the White House, was diverted by the passengers into a field. This is interspersed with the reactions of the various air traffic control and military personnel, as the disaster of 9/11 takes place.

The reason it works so well is that it deals with what occured on that day, with none of the typical Hollywood glory - even the much repeated line, "Let's roll," is not given any significance.

The decision to film in a documentary style is also a reason for its success, as Greengrass is able to show vital moments without great fanfare, purely as something that happened and yet still retains the tension.

The performances from unknown actors are of a very high standard and it is easy to believe that they are real people and not just playing roles.

However, the film is not without criticism. For example, the passenger who wants to negotiate with the hijackers is - you've guessed it - European. After all, no American would ever do that, right? Also, it is not particularly enjoyable, despite being a very interesting and important film, which treats the events of 9/11 with the dignity they deserve.