Saturday, May 06, 2006

Surfing Thru "United 93"

I wanted to see it. I needed to see it. (For work.) But I kept sort of avoiding it, even though I didn't expect the movie to bother me emotionally beyond whatever the movie itself might achieve. But it did. And it was certainly the quietest New York audience I've been around at a movie theater in a long time, if ever. Not a sound from anyone from beginning to end. Director Paul Greengrass did a terrific job -- no surprise since his "Bloody Sunday" was an exceptional look at the Irish troubles that felt so authentic you wondered if it was a documentary and his "Bourne Supremacy" proved he had a way with action and violence. It was matter of fact, moving and sad. I don't ever need to see "Mission: Impossible" again because it moved me so little. I don't ever want to see "United 93" again because it moved me so much.

2 comments:

RC said...

i like your last line about mission impossible and united 93.

I've never seen bloody sunday by greengrass but maybe i should.

--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com

Michael in New York said...

Thanks. Bloody Sunday is very good and certainly not as wrenching as United 93 because we have less emotionally invested in the topic (assuming you're not living in Ireland).