Taseful And Poignant Story from the Perspective of Two Police Officers and their Families

Rating: 7/10 (9 August 2006)

For some, it may still be too soon to go to the movies to watch a tale of 9/11. For those who are ready, World Trade Center is worth watching. The film is tastefully made, casts minimal attention to the more sensational aspects of the fateful day, and devotes the lion's share of the picture telling a gripping, true-life, story of two port authority police officers who were trapped in the rubble. There is no discussion of how or why this tragedy occurred. The film is simply a tribute to the chaos on the ground as the day unfolded, and the heroism of the police, firefighter, and others, who literally risked their lives to rescue others. Although the story is set in and around the World Trade Center complex on September 11, 2001, it could just as easily have been set in the Sago Coal Mine, or some other place where people are trapped below ground in a dangerous setting. The real story here is about the camaraderie of the two stars as they struggle to survive, and the emotional difficulties endured by their families and friends and events unfold. As the attack on the World Trade Center becomes more of a part of history, and less a part of the current news, more sensational movies about the events of that day are likely to be made. It will be interesting to see how this movie holds up.