Top 38 films of September 11th

3. Into The Fire

The premise is real and story is believable and moving. There was a quote that stuck with me after the film was over. It was about living a life of celebration because it's the balance of living a life of tragedy on the same spectrum. Most of the themes in the movie revolve around similar issues, including reincarnation. Though, at times the story is slow and the conflict is confusing. I wasn't sure if this was a story about love or self-forgiveness until well into the second act. However, the cast is exceptional. Portraying the antagonist and protagonist, Sean Patrick Flanery's (Powder) performance was true, honest, engaging and his best work to date. Both Melina Kanakareses (CSI: NY) and JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist) supported Flannery and excelled the dramatic themes.

Aesthetics. Well done. Portrayed mostly hand-held, 'documentary style', its photography and production design are up to par with most of today's Hollywood pictures. The film was shot on 35mm with sharp color contrasts and at locations across New York City and Coney Island. The musical score is original and adds drama to the film without distracting the viewer from the story.

2. September

Germany, September 2001. Among the portrayed people we have a broker who deals on a daily basis with colleagues in the WTC, his wife leading an unfulfilled life in their luxury home. He wants divorce. – A policeman of the anti-terrorist force wants to sell his 1967 Corvette, materialized American dream to him. He sort of takes personal the terrorist assault. – A mixed couple, he Pakistani, she German, both working in a Pizzeria. When the crash happens, the woman cannot stand her husband not expressing his feelings – she doubts, if he as a Muslim feels for the victims.

Humour is scarce but intelligently employed in the movie. The funny part belongs to a journalist fighting to write his article on the terrible events. When his girlfriend bursts in, she gives him an intellectual statement, which makes him change his mind and his article. You'll have to wait a bit for the point.

All these couples have their own relationship-conflicts. The film is on the impact of media suffering, placing it against the personal problems of the characters. The heaviest statement comes from the broker, who tells his wife: "You have no right in their suffering, it's their own." Do we maintain too much distance to unknown people's hardships, or too little? How do we deal with media realities?

These are justified and topical questions, and September accomplishes some reflection about them. The script works well, although it is far from the brilliance of LICHTER. Acting is immaculate.

1. United 93

There truly are no words to describe the power of this film. The cinematography is excellent, albeit a little unsteady with the shaky lens thing going on. I found that the film very much followed the reports in the 9/11 Commission's book, as well as numerous others. They stuck to the facts and didn't add in any glorified scenes that weren't warranted. You saw the mass confusion as the various air traffic control centers tried to make sense of what was going on. You saw the events on the plane unfold as we think they did that morning. You saw ordinary Americans, scared and frightened, band together and try and keep that plane from hitting another target.

Do we know exactly what was said between people on the planes? No. But there are survivors who had messages from loved ones on their answering machines and people who talked to them that day. The film is a little violent for my tastes, but no more so than any 'Blockbuster' fictional hit out there right now, and this is reality as we know it. Any discrepancies are not for me or you to decide, as those secrets are buried in Pennsylvania.

When it ended, I've never seen a more still theater. You could hear people breathing as they pulled themselves together. This is something that happened to our nation, and while it shouldn't take a movie to make people remember, maybe it does. Maybe we have forgotten or chosen to ignore what happened that day, falling to politics and quick to accuse people who didn't prevent it. Maybe we are against this movie because it makes us uncomfortable, as all meaningful things should. Who knows? Not I.

But, I do know that United 93 was done in a tasteful, respectful manner, and many of the families affected on 9/11 supported its release. Who are we to say otherwise? See the movie and then make your judgment call. You may find yourself surprised, just as I did.

thats that list everybody. Hope youve enjoyed lookin through it.

now i need to do a more cheery one i think lol

There is a lot of good stuff on this list, but I thought Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was garbage. It's soulless, manipulative, and transparent awards bait, based on a soulless and manipulative book made to capitalize on sales from the fact that it's a book about 9/11. "Oh, look, we have a tragic story and critically acclaimed actors and it comes out on Christmas and it's about a historical event that was important to America." Peter Travers called it the Oscar equivalent of exploitation films, and I agree. It's also bad buzz for your 9/11 movie when literally every New York critic and reporter hated it. The New Yorker, the Times, the Post, Daily News, Wall Street Journal, and the Star-Ledger all saw right through it. It made them angry.

September 11th..oh yes! The CIA never paid us for those thermite charges...

will be pretty sound...

Flight 93 is an excellent movie...not an easy watch, but well worth the effort...there is a review of it on my review thread.