I saw United 93 on Friday.
I don't fully agree with you. It does indeed show the hijackers in a 'sympathetic' light, but does not seem to in any way take their side. I agree it doesn't specifically ever say, "these guys are evil" but I think it shows them doing evil things. And yes, the real terrorists might enjoy this movie too. But I think that's just cuz they're so stupid. Like when the idiot last week, after begging for the death penalty, declared victory when he was instead given life. Stupid people just don't get it, and believe everything they see/hear supports them.
They do spend a lot of screen time showing the idiots praying, and being devout, and such. I personally would prefer a movie that showed some of the many day-to-day idiocies such people engage in, to fully establish their character.
But for typical moviemaking reasons, they chose no to flesh out characters in the terrorist. Instead, they just showed carbon-copied, stereotypical 'devout muslim terrorists' with no actual personality.
I agree with that, but the larger point she was making that this is some kind of 'recruiting' film for Al Queda I think completely misses the point.
9/11 was a recruiting event for Al Queda. Telling the story does indeed make people take sides. Good.