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World Trade Center
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Starring: Nicholas Cage
Genre:
Drama
Run Time: 129
min.
Release Date:
August 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
When most movie-goers think
of Oliver Stone, they usually think of cutting edge (Born on the Fourth
of July), or visceral film-making (Natural Born Killers), or even
historically disturbing cinema (The Doors). But few — if any — would
consider Stone schmaltzy or an opportunist. Watching WORLD TRADE CENTER,
though, one can't help but feel a touch of the latter and a significant
amount of the former.
UNITED 93 was similar in that it took the recent horrific events of 9/11
and reintroduced Americans' fears to that awful day. It utilized (for
better or worse) those feelings we all have and made money off of it.
This isn't as terrible as it sounds, though. Cinema has been doing this
for as long as celluloid has been running through projectors, but never
has the filming been so close to the actual date of the events (or at
least rarely).
One can't help but think that Stone must've been desperate for film
material or somehow felt closely connected to the events that day.
Either way, the script (although based on actual events) was lackluster
at best. There are just a few exceptions that we'll cover in a moment.
This is the (true) story of the port authority police officers that
responded to the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, and is specific to
the two men from the port authority who were trapped and later rescued
from under the rubble. Nicholas Cage (National Treasure) stars as John McLoughlin, a gruff Sergeant who was around during the first bombings on
the trade centers several years earlier. His entrapped fellow officer is
rookie Will Jimeno played by Michael Pena (Crash), a family man with a
new baby on the way. Both men have to deal with their isolation and near
certain demise as they lay pinned and stranded only a few feet from one
another. The story jumps between the rubble strewn men, their wives and
families, and a retired marine who feels the call of duty after the
attacks and risks his life to find survivors in the buildings' wreckage
(the schmaltzy portions are firmly entrenched here as we're spoonfed
everyone's tearful response to that terrible day).
It is this "marine" that most might have the biggest trouble with
script-wise. He seemed almost inserted into the story to give some grist
to an otherwise empty milieu. His need for "revenge" felt hollow amidst
so much emotion. And although this may be "the way it was," it didn't
translate well to film.
Interestingly, Nicholas Cage gives an admirable performance even though
he's not jumping into and out of danger, or battling evil-doers with
deadly weapons. He's confined as is co-star Pena and their concern for
one another is touching, as is their concern for what will happen to
their families as they lay thinking/dreaming about them (these were some
of the best parts of the screenplay but only a small portion of the
whole).
The most powerful part of the film was its sound editing. When the
buildings collapsed and then later continued to creak and groan, they
took on an ominous characteristic that brooded poorly for our two main
characters and gave movie-watchers a great sense of dread.
But when the sound becomes the most impressive part of a film, there's
more problems than applause.
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Image from World Trade
Center
DVD cost: $25.99
Purchase:
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Film Review Stew
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Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy: Oliver
Stone sought Dave Karnes, the heroic Marine played by Michael Shannon,
to play himself in the film. Karnes not only turned down the offer, but
also refused to participate as a consultant on this film due to Stone's
anti-Bush stance. However, Karnes did acknowledge that the film depicted
the events very accurately.
Movie Quote: "Always
protect yourselves and watch each other's backs."
Other Actors/Actresses
from World Trade Center
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