I've been busy as hell so this is a late post, but I'm gonna talk about some movies involving 9/11 that I've seen.
United 93 was a movie released on April 28, 2006 about the heroic actions of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 who attempted to take back their plane after it was hijacked by terrorists. I squeezed in time to watch it again for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It received controversy prior to it's release. Many people thought that it was too soon to make a movie about 9/11. Others believed that it was simply making money off of a tragedy. I mean it was directed by Paul Greengrass, the guy who directed The Bourne Supremacy. Was he going to turn this tragedy into an action movie? Nope. None of these statements are true in my opinion. This movie is phenomenal. Very few movies have gotten me as emotional as this movie has. This movie works because it's straightforward and simple, yet powerful. There are no pointless subplots, no cringe inducing melodrama, no political agenda. This film wasn't made to criticize Islam or the government or anything else like that. It was made as a tribute to the brave passengers who died that day.
The film starred mostly unknown actors. The most recognizable faces were Emmy Award Winner Christian Clemenson (Boston Legal) as Tom Burnett, one of the passengers who fights back against the hijackers. It also stars Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner and Green Zone, another film directed by Paul Greengrass) as Ziad Jarrah, the leader of the hijackers. Greengrass was smart by picking mostly unknowns as it gives a sense of realism. It almost feels like a really well made documentary. The film also includes several real life non-actors playing themselves including Ben Sliney, one of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's National Operation Managers. The film switches viewpoints several times from the plane itself, to the Air Traffic control, the Federal Aviation Administration ect. This is all edited beautifully. The film also features one of the most emotional ending sequences of all time. The film is very tastefully done. Instead of using special effects for the WTC crash, it uses a news report for instance. Highly recommend watching it ASAP
United 93 was nominated for 2 Academy Awards: Best Director and Best Editing (It definitely should have won Best Editing). It was also nominated for 6 Bafta awards, winning 2: Best Director and Best Editing.
My Rating: 5/5
World Trade Center is a movie that oddly enough came out the same year. It was released on August 9, 2006, less than 4 months after the United 93 came out. It was directed by Academy Award Winner Oliver Stone (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Wall Street), a director who I usually enjoy. Unlike United 93, which mainly casted unknown actors, this movie stars Academy Award Winner Nicolas Cage (Raising Arizona, Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas, or more recently Drive Angry and Kick-ass), Michael Pena (Crash, Shooter, 30 minutes or Less), Jay Hernandez (Lakeview Terrace, American Son, Hostel) and Academy Award Nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary, The Dark Knight, Crazy Heart). Unlike United 93, which was focused mainly on what was going on in the air, this movie is focused on what's going on on the ground. It's based on the true story of 2 cops (played by Cage and Pena) who get trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. The most notable difference about this film in comparison to United 93 is that while United 93 is depressing and tragic, this film is more uplifting. Granted, the story of these 2 men is much more uplifting than the story of the passengers on Flight 93. It still lacks the emotional punch of United 93. The acting is good, not great. Still considering the fact that Nicolas Cage came out with The Wicker man the same year makes the acting seem a bit better. Despite starting off strong, the film soon devolves into bad melodrama and overly drawn out scenes. It simply lacks the emotional punch of actual history. It's not a horrible movie, but not one that I plan on watching again. It's too cheesy and schmaltzy and unemotional to recommend.
And the film includes Jason Thomas, a black man who helped rescue people during the attacks that day. In the movie, they casted Ethan from LOST (aka, a white guy). BURN!!!!
but seriously, that sucks. FAIL on the movie's part!
On a better note, I'm glad that Oliver Stone (who's known for having politics in his film) keep this movie politically muted and just focus on the facts.
My Rating: 2.5/5
If that wasn't weird enough, there was a THIRD movie about 9/11 released that year. A TV movie called Flight 93 which premiered on A&E on January 30, 2006. About 3 months before United 93 was released. I haven't seen this film, though.
Last film. Remember Me. 9/11 actually only plays a brief role in this movie. Which I will discuss now. (SPOILERS!!!)
Remember Me stars Robert Pattison (Twilight) as Tyler. An angry 21 year old who loves his sister (Ruby Jerins) and hates his father (Pierce Brosan of James Bond fame). Academy Award Winner Chris Cooper (American Beauty, Adaptation, Capote) plays Neil Craig, a cop who Tyler plots revenge against after Craig arrests him after Tyler hits him for arresting a couple of guys who got beat up. His revenge plot is to date Ally (Emilie De Ravin, LOST) who goes to the same college as him. But surprise surprise it ends up as more than just an incredibly idiotic revenge plot. The 2 fall in love or something like that. Tyler is essentially a dick who spends most of the movie switching from monotone to over the top melodrama. (Many seem to disagree with this statement. *cough* *cough* Kseniya *cough* *cough*)
Despite Pattison's performance which is mediocre at best, Emilie De Ravin was very charming and likable as Ally. Chris Cooper was not as good as usual and Pierce Brosan was just ok. The ending is very controversial. SPOILERS! SPOILERS! Yeah. the opening scene in the film shows the year 1991. Then it flashes to 10 years later. So the film takes place in 2001. ok got it. It's in New York. Oh. They're probably gonna do one of those 25th hour things where a certain, tragic event plays a small role in the plot.
Then we see the words written on a school board: September 11, 2001. It's done in the most melodramatic way possible. Meanwhile Tyler, after discovering that his dad wasn't quite as big of an asshole that he thought he was, gets killed after it's revealed that his father worked in the WTC building.
Nice....
Talk about one of the stupidest, most offensive, and irrelevant endings that I've ever seen. This film certainly lacks subtly, in the sense that it acts like it's goddamn brilliant when it's really not. It's a shame because I liked Director Allen Coulter's previous film Hollywoodland. This film was just bad. All the characters are either unlikable or cliches, the story is overly melodramatic, contrived, and predictable (besides the ending). The tacked on ending doesn't make it any better. If anything, the film would have been more emotional if we were told that it was a 9/11 story from the beginning. Any competent screenwriter knows that you can't just add it new concepts in the third act, even if you forshadowed it a bit before hand.
I'll just watch United 93 again, thank you very much.
My Rating: 1.5/5
"This movie has the biggest "FUCK YOU VIEWER!!!!" ending EVER!"
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