United 93 isn't a mere motion picture. It's a document. A terrifying, gut wrenching re-enactment of one of the darkest days in American history. Is it too soon for a film about 9/11? I suppose that depends on who you ask. I don't think it's too soon, but then I didn't lose anyone close to me or that I knew on that tragic day. Still, it affected me profoundly as it did most Americans. It's clear that gifted film maker Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday, The Bourne Supremacy) was also moved by the tragedy, so much so in fact, that he set out to tell a story of those who were on tragic Flight 93. But rather than sensationalize or exploit, Greengrass has fashioned a human story with nausea induced tension that is only heightened by the fact that this all really happened.

With meticulous detail, United 93 traces the events of that awful day in real time. For much of the running time, the film focuses on a panicked, confused, but always focused air traffic control team. As they struggle to monitor the flights that would ultimately strike the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, they are unaware of the fate that awaits United Flight 93.

We are then taken aboard the doomed flight itself. As various passengers go about their business on the flight, the perpetrators of the high jacking prepare for the unthinkable, and once they put their plan into action, United 93 becomes a painful, unflinching depiction of humanity and inspiration.

This isn't a Hollywood action film. There aren't any gun toting soldiers busting in to save the day. The heroes in this tale are regular folks like you and me. People from all walks of life whom would ultimately ban together without hesitation, in an attempt to save themselves and those around them. But then, in the real world, such incidents don't always conclude with a happy Hollywood ending.

Flight 93 is an excruciating experience because we know exactly how it's going to end, and no matter how much we hope or pray, the outcome is inevitable. This makes the tiny moments in the film all the more powerful. Whether it be a scene in which one passenger barely makes it to his flight on time, or a positively gut wrenching montage in which several passengers call their loved ones to say goodbye, Flight 93 never shies away from the shocking truth.

At the same time, this is a hopeful movie that puts the power and nobility of the human spirit on full dispay. What's more, Greengrass avoids turning the men who carry out this dreadful suicide mission into soulless killing machines. That would have been far too easy. While many Americans most likely have that perception, it isn't altogether true. These men aren't necessarily sympathetic but they are portrayed as human beings on a mission they believe to be important. And like the passengers of Flight 93, they too were most likely scared.

Paul Greengrass has painstakingly collected facts from several points of view and through that, he's fashioned a vivid, intense, nightmare about real people forced to deal with an impossible situation. Most of the film is shot hand held giving the movie a kind of intimacy that puts the viewer in the passenger seat. We aren't watching the last moments of this flight, we're experiencing it.

United 93 is quite obviously a tough film, and one that will, no doubt, cause much debate. But there's nothing exploitive about it. Greengrass is an artist, and while I'm sure the producers of this film don't want to lose money, it's completely evident to me that they didn't make the picture for monetary reasons. If they had, they would have cast big name stars. By casting lesser known actors, Greengrass has created a film that feels incredibly personal. Somehow, when this haunting picture came to an end, I really felt like I knew these people.

This is without question one of the most important films I've seen in a long time. I was extremely moved by it. It is quite often uncomfortable to sit through, but for some, it might prove to be a cathartic experience. For those who think it's too soon, who am I to tell you you're wrong. I can say that United 93 is a powerful picture made with sensitivity. The same can't be said for Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor, and that movie came out sixty years after the horrible event it depicted. If we're ever going to heal, we have to talk about what happened and films like United 93 allow for discussion which is an important part of the process.