Review of World Trade Center (2006) by Harry W — 06 Oct 2013

The downfall of World Trade Center is director Oliver Stone.

The story in World Trade Center is a great one, an inspiring one, and it deserves better treatment than director Oliver Stone gives it.

Oliver Stone has clearly failed to understand the gravity of the situation in World Trade Centre, because his direction gives World Trade Center inconsistency in the manner of the way it reverts back and fourth between a story entailing people stuck under the remains of the destroyed twin towers and the situation on the surface, but Oliver Stone fails to find the necessary balance to make it work. The situation underground is enhanced by emotional drama, but bereft of intensity regarding the fact that two heroes are surviving in the ruins of the World Trade Center. Conversely, on the surface there is intensity regarding the situation having been faced, but the emotional trauma is lacking. Attempts to grip it doesn't work until the story's resolution, but a film which only has a strong feel at its conclusion is not worth sitting through much of the time. Luckily, World Trade Center is not one of these, but with Oliver Stone in charge it seriously could have been, because he fails to find direction in the story of even really give the film any, and it just seems to direct itself.

Basically, World Trade Center is so focused on its two individual characters that it ends up forgetting that the entire US has descended into a state of emergency because terrorists have just destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

But I do appreciate the fact that World Trade Center has a character driven story which reminds us of the of the individual families that were shattered by the horrors of 9/11, and the fact that this version attempts to cover the heroic story of characters trapped under the rubble of the former World Trade Center as well as the reaction of their families the cataclysmic events. It captures the real people of the events through strong intensity, a script which has real language and above all, a very humane cast.

When I say that, I mean that for such a touchy topic it would require actors who succeed at the ability to portray the humanistic side of the people involved as opposed to the characters they spend their careers learning to play. And for some reason, Oliver Stone decided to cast Nicolas Cage, a commonly criticised actor who has essentially played so many roles throughout his career including many many shallow action pieces that now many people can only ever see him as himself in another role again. World Trade Center is the downfall of that belief, because as Nicolas Cage's character and actual person John McLonughlin is trapped under rubble and unable to sustain movement, all Nicolas Cage can do is talk. And in this, he strips himself down to being a real human being and essentially makes the kind of breakthrough an actor only makes once. The kind of breakthrough an actor can make by proving that they can truly act without much movement. This is the kind of breakthrough James Caan made in Misery and James Franco made in 127 Hours. I bet nobody expected Nicolas Cage to do it, but he achieved it with gusto and without fear, and he did a great job. His emotional portrayal of John McLoughlin is benefitted by him exposing his humanity to the world, and it's as if he has started his career all over again. It's not his comeback, it's his rebirth. It's his finest performance in years, and it's a fine lead for a film depicting a real life figure that survives the horrors of 9/11. But what I respect most about Nicolas Cage is how he essentially serves as a leader to Michael Pena, the young and talented actor making a breakthrough gradually over the years. He shows what a true actor is made of, and essentially acts as a guide to the protege presence that Michael Pena makes on the screen. They make a fine duo and match each other in achievement on screen. Nicolas Cage is great, and Michael Pena follows closely.

Maria Bello is also good with capturing emotional intensity.

So World Trade Center could have been better and doesn't fully grasp the large scale horror of 9/11, but it's depiction of the humans involved and fine acting is what makes it a fairly strong tale.