World Trade Center DVD Review

"World Trade Center" reviews

DVD

World Trade Center

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-01-26 16:00:24

Provider

DVD Review

Oliver Stone movies split critics - political or patriotic, bloody-minded, or schmaltzy, deceptive or honest. As time passes this will more than likely stand as one of a very few emotionally driven film of events that have become increasingly politicised - an important document of balance and almost the antithesis of how an Oliver Stone film is commonly characterised.

Three views, two families, one event. It’s often been overlooked that Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena’s performances are excellent and near uncanny as John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno – two, of many, Port Authority Policemen who went into the Twin Towers to help get people out and ended up trapped at the epicentre of the collapse. All too memorable images are kept off screen, but in mind, as the focus remains on them and, equally importantly, their families during the first harrowing day. Stone’s skill as a seasoned scriptwriter (though he didn’t write this he knows how to work one) and filmmaker makes this a stand out event film for all the right reasons. He has the pacing perfect, the detail accurately defined and so holds his viewer in the palm of his hand from the opening scene to the closing credits, taking them through every held breath and hand-ringing moment McLoughlin, Jimeno and their families go through. Jingoism free, it’s a paean to the common man’s bravery and New York’s own resilience.

The second disc of this release provides a wealth of material worth exploring fully. They cover the making of the film - it’s sets, planning, development and research - but then they move on to detailed interviews with the people it’s based on and those who surrounded and supported them during their recovery; As well as a full explanation of that story too. It’s an extensive, astonishing, riveting and at times harrowing set of films that primarily provide a complete picture of the real people who were literally at the heart of events on that day, but also re-affirms that the movie itself has been accurate, faithful and considerate in telling their story truthfully, yet has managed to remain aware of the strong, and equally important feelings of the many others who were affected.