John McLoughlin (Cage) and Will Jimeno (Peña) are just two of the Port Authority cops who respond when a plane crashes into the World Trade Center. As they enter the complex, they still don't that a second plane has hit another building. And when the first tower collapses, they're trapped in the rubble. Meanwhile, their wives (Bello and Gyllenhaal, respectively) and families try to find out what happened. And rescue workers search the rubble for signs of life.

Stone recreates these events with an astonishing attention to detail that takes us right into the eye of the storm. The early chaos is extremely frightening, as police and firemen bravely enter the storm of falling debris, then experience the thunderous roar of the buildings collapsing from inside. This is gripping, scary filmmaking that's realistic and grounded in characters who react immediately in honest (and not always positive) ways with fear, anger and frustration.

From this point, Cage and Peña are pinned into place, performing only with their faces (plus various unnecessary flashbacks and hallucinations). Both are solid, but it's Gyllenhaal and Bello who get meaty and involving roles--strong women faced with tough decisions and difficult emotional journeys. Of the rescuers, only Shannon's rogue Marine registers, with his burning desire to help.

This is so well rendered on screen that it's a shame how empty it feels. Stone and writer Berloff strain so hard to honour the memory of those who died that they avoid the subtext or commentary that would help us understand 9/11 from a new perspective and internalise the issues. Rather, we just watch a compelling story without experiencing it. Yes, this is an amazing story of courage and tenacity, but amid all the sentiment and emotion, the film feels strangely like a big Hollywood product. Contrast this with the much stronger United 93, which forces us to respond personally. A more impressionist exploration--or an actual documentary--would be much more powerful.

themes, violence, language

5.Sep.06