Thirty minutes into this film you completely forget you are watching a movie. You are THERE, plain and simple. It's a lot like United 93 in that sense ... realistic, wrenching, and heartbreaking, but something you have to experience. It may be too visceral for critics (also like United 93), but film lovers should definitely seek it out. The ending is not supposed to be a surprise ... we know it is inevitable, and that creates a deep empathy for the character and the injustice she experiences. Yes there are more than a few flaws here. Sometimes the score becomes intrusive and there are some lines that don't work. But if audience involvement is any indication, this is an unqualified success.
