After the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001 only 20 people were pulled from the rubble alive.
20 people. Port Authority Police Sergeant John McLoughlin and Officer Will Jimeno were numbers 18 and 19.
World Trade Center is their story, told through the eyes of Jimeno, McLoughlin and their families. There’s no political agenda or finger-pointing.
World Trade Center is very simply a tale of hope, courage and survival on one of America’s darkest days.
The film begins with the central characters going through the mundane motions of preparing for work, lining up for duty, and then heading out on patrol. From there the events of 9/11 unfold with the officers racing to the Twin Towers. Focus shifts from outside the Towers to inside, swiftly narrowing the story to spotlight a small group of Port Authority officers led by Sergeant McLoughlin (played by
Nicolas Cage).
Of course the officers don’t have a grasp on the full picture and, without knowing just how bad things will ultimately become, set out gathering equipment for a rescue operation that never has time to materialize. They get no further than the concourse level when the Tower falls. McLoughlin and Jimeno (Michael Pena) become pinned 20 feet below the surface under piles of twisted metal and burning rubble. Critically injured, the men spend hours keeping each other awake as their families cling to the hope they’ll somehow make it out alive.
If you didn’t know this was an Oliver Stone movie going in, chances are you won’t know it as you leave the theater unless you stay for the credits. Stone refrained from inserting his own view of the events into this story and tonally, visually, and substance-wise,
World Trade Center is nothing like any of his previous films. Stone not only didn’t include his own politics in the movie, but also chose not to include footage of the planes hitting the buildings, the Towers actually collapsing, or other all-too-familiar scenes from that horrific day. None of that sort of footage would have benefited the story and Stone, to his credit, manages to show the scope of the devastation just by focusing on the specific area surrounding Jimeno and McLoughlin.
World Trade Center is only the second major feature film to focus on the horrible events of 9/11 so comparisons to Paul Greengrass’
United 93 are inevitable. Unfortunately for Stone’s film,
United 93 not only made it to theaters first but also did a better job of capturing the extreme anxiety of the day - and even did a far better job of involving the audience emotionally. Because Stone’s
World Trade Center is not just the story of the two men trapped in the ruins of the Towers but also the story of their wives and families, Stone’s film is forced to devote time away from the rescue operation of Jimeno and McLoughlin. Not to take anything away from the suffering the real Donna McLoughlin and Allison Jimeno went through waiting for word on their husbands, screenwriter Andrea Berloff’s script and Stone’s direction fail to adequately capture what must have been the most difficult day in the lives of both women. Instead of furthering the film’s heart wrenching story, when the focus shifts to the homes of Jimeno and McLoughlin, the movie bogs down and loses intensity.
As for the performances in
World Trade Center, Stone has to be commended for casting against type and getting the best out of his eclectic group of actors. Cage in particular gives a powerful performance as Sergeant McLoughlin. At least half of Cage’s time onscreen is spent trapped in rubble, leaving only his voice and facial expressions to hold our attention. Cage pulls it off, giving one of the most tightly controlled performances of his career.
While Cage’s performance is all about holding it in, it’s Michael Pena (a standout in Crash) who lets it all out. The heart and soul of the film emotionally, Pena is terrific throughout the piece and carries off moments that, although they may have their basis in truth, appear a little too contrived onscreen.
The main actors spent a great deal of time researching their parts and working closely with their real-life counterparts. Maggie Gyllenhaal seems to have really benefited from her time spent with the real Allison Jimeno as she’s completely convincing as a pregnant wife and mother going crazy with worry over the man she loves. Not quite so convincing is Maria Bello as Donna McLoughlin. Bello’s a fine actress but for some reason there’s no connection with this character.
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