A must see... for those who can

Rating: 10/10 (31 August 2006)

This is not an easy movie to watch. Much of the movie shows PAPD Officer Will Jimeno (Michael Peña) and Sgt. John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) under the rubble of World Trade Center Two. It is dark and claustrophobic, and you will feel their pain, their anger, and their fear. They literally kept each other alive by talking to each other, knowing that if they fell asleep, odds are they wouldn't wake up, and if one died, the other would, too.
But "World Trade Center" is not told solely from the point of view of the officers. It also looks at Allison Jimeno and Donna McLaughlin (Maggie Gyllenhall and Maria Bello are perfectly cast), the wives of the hero officers, as well as their families, and the toll the day's events took on their lives.
I'm the first to admit that when I heard Oliver Stone was directing "World Trade Center," I worried that it would be a political commentary laden with conspiracy theories. Far from it. Stone and writer Andrea Berloff took great care in leaving politics out of the movie. The dialogue was not only believable, but it was all New York. You can tell that the four stars spent a lot of time with the people they portray.
The only thing I would have changed in this movie is to have the time of day in which the scenes took place, just for continuity.
If you can watch a movie based on the single worst day in American history, I urge you to see "World Trade Center."