It’s strange that Stone whose films are extremely aggressive has taken this approach.
Some say it’s too early to put out a film on 9/11, yet ‘United 93,’ the superb film released in the spring and set aboard the hijacked plane that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, is a masterpiece of naked storytelling. No one has complained publicly about that.
But then it wasn’t set in New York City, where Stone’s story unfolds and where the physical, psychological and human damage was far worse.
Stone follows the action from the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, a warm, bright autumn day, as two Port Authority police officers shower, shave, eat and leave for another day at work.
Gradually news spreads around the station that one of the World Trade Center buildings had been hit by a commuter jet. They organize a bus and speed down to the site, and learn that a second plane has struck another WTC building.
Tensions start to rise in small increments, as we learn from radio reports the breadth of the tragedy. But strangely, Stone diffuses them. The drama never really gets going again.
Nicholas Cage (John LcLoughlin) leads his squad towards the towers and the underground passage that links them; he is familiar with the structure of the site.
Rookie Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) volunteers to join McLoughlin in evacuating as many people out of the buildings as possible. Only four men volunteered to enter the still burning and crumbling building.
They keep their cool and don’t ask questions, focusing on the job at hand.
If they had doubts they could do it, they kept them and their fears, to themselves.
The rookie’s obviously in way over his head. Sergeant McLoughlin ‘Sarge’ knows the area well but it doesn’t matter much now as skyscraper crumbles, people throw themselves out of windows, no one knows anything.
He is trying to remain calm, lead his men and save lives.
In a sickening moment, Sarge and the rookie fall through a crevice into a twenty-foot deep pit. They are pinned by huge slabs of concrete as metal, stone and debris rains hard on them.
Word is spreading amongst the families of the officers, that things don’t look good. There is little hope.
Cage lies sideways under rubble for most of the film. He delivers the message of what McLoughlin went through, the dehydration, the woozy language, inability of focus, hallucinations but with that never ending hope that they’ll be saved. ‘Keep your brain right! he yells to the rookie as they remind one another not to fall asleep and risk death.
It’s a remarkable story, two of thousands that day, which Stone picked to commemorate.
Their families waiting in the far away suburbs, them immobile underground on the worst day in American history.
There is no mention of Osama Bin Laden or other foreign interests, there is only one mention of politics, as a Marine officer vows to ‘avenge this’. Another surprising choice.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays the rookie’s pregnant wife, has never been better in a film, radiating real human emotion. Previously her work has seemed stilted or mannered. She is right in the moment for Stone, an under educated but strong hearted warrior.
Michael Pena who plays Jimeno the rookie, is winning in WTC. A fresh-faced and exceedingly natural actor, I bet we will be seeing a lot of him.
As much as Stone’s energies seem to be invested in ‘World Trade Center,’ the film seems empty and flat. Compared with ‘United 93,’ it is a movie of the week.
This amazing real-life drama and its heroes deserve better.
By soliciting the goodwill and approval of the films subjects, Stone has somehow compromised his natural story telling gift. He is the wrong one to have made this film even though he had the smarts to be out there filming early.
Opens wide August 9th. No MPAA rating
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