Film Review – 22 July

12 years ago, director Paul Greengrass made a potentially disastrous creative decision by trying to dramatize the events of United Airlines Flight 93, only five years after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Dealing with wounds that will never heal, Greengrass put his faith in the power of cinema, using evidence and interviews to deliver a searing understanding of fear and courage, remaining very careful with the experience of lives lost. “United 93” was one of the best films of 2006, and its creative concentration supports the very existence of “22 July,” which recreates the 2011 Norway terrorist attacks that took 77 lives. It’s not that this story needed to be brought to the screen, but Greengrass is the right helmer for the job, showing caution with the thin-ice viewing event, hoping to shed light on issues in Europe by transforming headline news into an achingly personal story of grief and survival.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com