The true story of 9/11 first responders John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno,
two Port Authority police officers who wound up trapped in the rubble. BIOPIC/DRAMA
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World Trade Center (2006)Directed by Oliver Stone
Written by Andrea Berloff Starring Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Stephen Dorff, Frank Whaley |
When you hear that Oliver Stone made a movie about 9/11, your brain immediately jumps to the crazy place. Conspiracies and whatnot, just like he did with JFK. But World Trade Center is a subdued, somber look at the darkest day in American history, focusing on the efforts of the first responders and their families. Despite a successful box office, it was met with mixed reviews, with a lot of critics and moviegoers condemning it as propaganda and melodrama. But that is not the case. This film tells the terrifying story of Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, who became trapped in the rubble at Ground Zero when the towers fell.
Nicolas Cage and Michael Peña are absolutely fantastic as McLoughlin and Jimeno respectively. You can feel the claustrophobia that they felt when they were trapped under 20 feet of dirt, stone, and steel. Stone makes the interesting decision to hone in on several men who aided in the rescue efforts, namely ex-Marine Dave Karnes (Shannon), who would reenlist after 9/11 and serve two tours in Iraq, and ESU Rescueman Scott Strauss (Dorff), who led some of the rescue efforts. Overall, this film showcases the strength of New York's resolve following the attack. It's nothing short of inspiring. World Trade Center is a respectful retelling of just one of thousands of stories of the victims of 9/11. Oliver Stone held himself back from going full tin foil hat, and the film is all the better for it. |