Voo 93

This was very well done despite being on a small budget. I was shaking through most of it as I was reliving the experience through the actors and events. The acting and writing was excellent and though the real people surely looked different this movie put faces with the names. The characterizations were done very convincingly and I now want to see photos of the real people to see how well the casting was. I know I will never take for granted my next flight and will be aware of those around me and what they are doing. I found myself wondering during the movie, why hasn't more been done to avenge this day as I still have a empty feeling that those that would attack our country have not been hurt enough for what happened on this day so that they or their children won't attack again. There can be no secret of what happens in the end, but it was very interesting how they figured out what the overheard "Let's roll" quote was for. This movie did make me totally forget everything and I was glued to the television. The "I love you" scenes were nicely done. The movie was not boring, though it could have easily have been. But like the movie "Blackhawk Down" it's a very powerful emotional movie and seeing it more than once can be exhausting, but it's a valuable and enlightening movie and needs to be seen by those that can handle it.

On September, 11th 2001, four domestic flights are hijacked by terrorist in United States of America. After the collision of three against selected targets, the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 fight against four terrorists to take back the control of the airplane.

On the day that the world changed, about forty two passengers and crew of United Flight 93 become aware that the four terrorists that hijacked their plane are in a suicidal mission, after the collisions of three other airplanes. Through the testimony of their phone calls, this movie reconstitutes and dramatizes the moments of despair of some of them. The story is very sad and touching, since they are common people like you and me in a flight. It is impossible not projecting ourselves in the tragic situation that might have happened to either of us and feel a great sympathy for the victims. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Vôo 93 – O Fime" ("Flight 93 – The Movie")

Flight 93

Last month, in recognition of the 8th anniversary of 9/11, I reviewed the film United 93. As good as that film is, it's not the only movie about that fateful flight, nor in my opinion, is it the best.

These days it seems that the best crews are actually working in television, and the made for TV movie Flight 93, a joint production of A&E and FOX is a good example. It tells the exact same story as United 93 taken from the same sources, and also told in a dramatic narrative style, but with a bit more impact. It's a shame that far fewer people have actually seen this TV version of the story.

As I've said, both are good "films", but Flight 93, which is technically not a film because it was shot on HD Video instead of 35mm Film like United 93, has more dynamic camera work. Perhaps it's the size difference between the film camera and the HD camera, but even though both were shot primarily hand held, the angles, tight shots and pans are more daring and interesting in Flight.

Additionally creative choices and edits were a bit sharper with Flight. For example, within the first few minutes of the film we know the names of the hijackers, and most of the key passengers, thanks to the great idea to include a series of tight shots on the boarding passes as passengers boarded the plane.

Flight 93 also includes lots of details throughout that weren't shown in United 93, including some that were perhaps whitewashed from United (whether this was intentional to avoid controversy, lawsuit, for creative reasons, or to lionize all the innocents, or just an accident of choice in the editing room, it still has an impact) for example, the fact that the pilots of the commercial aircraft had received a warning against possible cockpit intrusion, but chose to open the door anyway.

While none of these little things – a shot here, a detail there – makes much of a difference on it's own, taken together, they add up to a more dramatic story.

If you're the type that views only movies shot on film as "quality", and eschew anything video – yeah, you'll probably like United 93 better. But if you can enjoy HD video just as much (and with a story this engaging, how couldn't you?) I'd recommend Flight 93 between the two.

This was a decent film that might actually have portrayed the events on United Flight 93 on September 11. I think that it is comparable to United 93, the other film about the same subject, and I liked both movies about the same. This film captured the obvious fear the passengers felt on that day, and goes into more detail with the phone calls they made to their loved ones telling them what was happening. The suspense in the movie was kept high despite the fact that you knew what was going to happen. The cockpit-charging scene was the highlight of the film, in my opinion. You learn a little bit more about some of the passengers than in the other movie. If you have an interest in 9/11 and would like to see a movie about the heroes on that day, this movie might be for you.

**1/2 out of ****

The made-for-TV "Flight 93" was on A&E last night, so I watched it having recently been pleasantly impressed by the (similar/same) story of "United 93", which I rented on DVD just a few weeks ago.

Perhaps my opinion of "Flight" would be different if I had not seen "United" first, but I just didn't feel the power, emotion and anger that I'd felt while watching "United". "Flight" felt detached, poorly-acted and strangely 'calm', whereas "United" portrayed well the sense of in-credulousness of the situation as it unfolded and brought back the sick feeling we all had that day when it was realized what was actually going on. The air traffic controllers/airline people on the ground in "Flight" however seemed content to sit there serenely and simply wait for another opportunity to say, "There goes another one". And when one of the hijacked passengers uses his cell phone to give a sad farewell to his wife, she hangs up without even saying so much as "I love you".

Perhaps though my main problem with "Flight" is that it merely recreates what (is believed) to have happened, while "United" does the same while reminding us that procedures, organization & interaction on the ground were inexcusably poor, and that there are valuable lessons to be learned from this tragedy. By glossing over that aspect of the fateful day, "Flight 93" falls flat.

So if you've seen "United 93" already, don't waste your time with "Flight 93" - and if you haven't seen either but are interested in the story, make it "United".