World Trade Center - A Movie Review

Never forget all the heroes who sacrificed their lives on 9/11.

World Trade Center is a 2006 film based on true events of the horrors of 9/11. Two brave policemen are trapped in the wreckage of the towers. Trying to stay positive, the lives of thousands are affected as they learn terrible news on this day of nightmares.

Everybody has a story from the fateful day of 9/11. I was six years old. The only memory I have from that day is coming home on the bus where my parents were waiting for me in the driveway. World Trade Center effectively distributes the harrowing events that happened. It rightfully shares the stories of two policemen and their bravery.

Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena deserve all the incredible honor for their roles as John McLaughlin and Will Jimeno. Capturing the personalities of these two brave men, Cage and Pena committed to enduring the claustrophobic terrors. Collecting the difficult emotions, they powerfully enacted how important it is to keep conversing over giving up the battle.

Families went through utter chaos fighting to comprehend the madness. Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal had to be in a constant state of worry and hysteria. Staying hopeful is very important. Each actress did an amazing job with their emotions and connecting to their real counterparts.

I especially enjoyed Gyllenhaal’s performance. Avoiding any quiet moment, Allison’s antsy behavior causes her to avoid the emotions that she needs to feel. The subplot in which she and Will have been disagreeing on the new baby’s name was a fun moment.

Every actor involved with the making of the World Trade Center deserves a pat on the back. Films about 9/11 are never easy. But we need to tell our stories. Actors who played the police, doctors, onlookers, and victims made a great decision to recognize those who helped or died.

For most of the film, I could feel my heart pounding. Filmmakers did everything they could do to replicate the hysteria. I was not old enough to understand the terror of the situation or when I watched people running on the streets on TV. World Trade Center is not for the faint of heart. When I say that it replicates every scene that happened, it does just that.

World Trade Center is authentic. Forbidden to film in New York City where the actual events occurred, instead, the making of the film occurred in Los Angelos. Sets of the inside of the world trade center were created. At one point, a survivor who was rescued from the wreckage came to the set and was taken aback at how real everything looked.

Even I felt closed-in with John and Will who were trapped below ground for hours and hours beneath wreckage that weighed down on their bodies. Camera angles brought out the claustrophobic tension of the situation only angling in on what the characters could see from their limited surroundings.

Oliver Stone made this film as a commemoration for all the lives that were lost on this day. We can never forget. He paid close attention to details, directed his actors closely, and he made sure that he did not drive away from the message. I will note that he used too much news footage which ruined his own vision of World Trade Center.

World Trade Center is very tough to watch. However, I think that it is an important film to watch to understand the horrors. We need to keep telling stories and remember the lives that we lost. Tell your story. Listen to a story. Remember.