World Trade Center
By Mal Simons, Blockbuster.co.uk

“The World Saw Evil That Day. Two Men Saw Something Else.”

The events that took place on September 11, 2001 changed the world forever. A painful memory, fresh in American history; there was an outcry when it was announced that controversial director Oliver Stone would be making a film about the events of that day. But Stone’s critics needn’t have worried – rather than going off on a political tangent (JFK anyone?), Stone has been uncharacteristically sensitive; simply concentrating on the human story of two police officers buried in the lobby of the World Trade Center on 9/11 and their families. The result is an excellent film that closely matches the accounts of the two officers involved.

World Trade Center tells the story of two members of the Port Authority Police Department who were the last people to be pulled alive from the rubble of the collapsed towers on September 11. Nicolas Cage stars as Sgt. John McLoughlin, a Police veteran who previously worked in the Center following the previous terrorist bombing in the 90s. Considered an expert, he leads a group of police volunteers into the burning buildings to rescue people on the floors above. Officer Willy Jimeno (Michael Peria), is a new member of the police department, keen to impress, who although having a pregnant wife at home ( Maggie Gyllenhaal), he volunteers to be on his sergeant’s team. Nobody could have predicted what happened next – as the team are suiting up with fire fighting equipment in the downstairs lobby, the entire South Tower collapses, bringing tons of concrete on top of the group. Most of the team are killed while McLoughlin and Jimeno are pinned under slaps of concrete twenty feet below ground level.

This all happens very early on in the film, and throughout much of the picture, they’re stuck under the rubble but still battling on for their lives. Still not fully aware of what has taken place, and unsure if anyone will find them before they are crushed to death, all they can do is fight to stay awake as they know that they’ll live longer if they do and daydream about the families that they’ve left behind at home. Traumatic to say the least but this is what actually happened.

Meanwhile above ground, things are almost equally as traumatic, as their families attempt to deal with the possibility that their loved ones are dead. McLoughlin’s wife Donna (Maria Bellow), the mother of his four children does her best to stay strong in front of her kids while Jimeno’s wife Alison (Maggie Gyllenhaal), pregnant with their second daughter, is more impatient than Donna but is completely lost – she doesn’t know what she can do to help. It isn’t long before they both head towards ground zero. We follow both families as they try to survive the day.

All in all, this is a terrific film with amazing special effects but more importantly a really compelling and interesting story. Oliver Stone has stuck very closely to the accounts of the two police officers, bringing them in as advisers and has also brought together the actual rescuers from that day to play extras on this film; this does much to add to the realism.

The second disc of World Trade Center includes not only the usual interviews with the cast and crew but also a programme which focuses specifically on the police officers recovery, one of the rare occasions where the special features are just as compelling as the movie itself. Both discs are included as one rental at Blockbuster.co.uk. Highly recommended to rent. Add to your list now.