Half of the film that was UNITED 93...

Rating: 6/10 (12 August 2006)

Let me say this: this film is very important and quite moving. But as a film, if we could look at it and critique without the twinge of guilt when you whine about a film that deals with such serious matters, then it is obvious that WORLD TRADE CENTER is a bad film. It is all over the place, it goes here...there...everywhere. It is sloppy in highest form. As a film, it is unpleasantly out of formula. With the WAY too commercial advertisement of this film, I expected them to spend half of the film attempting to escape, like every other disaster epic. Not so. Nic Cage spends maybe a week of shooting in action, then the rest of the shoot on his face in the rubble, conversing with his also trapped partner, and saying (too many times): "Just don't fall asleep". If the film weren't so sad then I WOULD have fallen asleep half way through the film. But it is ten times as disturbing and moving as you know that these people were real, and most of us remember that day. So it is poorly structured, yet effective.
Acting: 8/10
I thought and still think it was an unforgivable mistake to cast such big actors in a movie like this. It takes away from the message. Any film on 9/11 is inevitably going to be a documentary of sorts, and I have yet to see Nic Cage and Maria Bello in a documentary. That said all of the actors DO do a good job. Cage gives a great performance. He seems a little TOO emotionless in a situation like that, but he does blend into the fabric well. Bello does quite well too. She fills the shoes of Nic Cage, and is a pleasant gem. Michael Pena is my favorite performance of the film. He seems like a guy you could run into on the street. When you forget that it is just an actor, then the actor has done their job. Props to Pena. Maggie Gyllenhaal is decent. She is a notch below the rest. She does fine, but there are small eccentricities to her performance that briefly through us out. Shes good for the eyes,but in this case, not the best performer.
Writing: No rating.
The writing is HORRIBLE. First off, it really isn't written. It takes events and portrays them. The film feels jerky as a result of filling in the gaps. A terrible script, but again, it is a semi-documentary. I don't feel right rating real events such as these.
Directing: 6/10
Stone gives some delicious shots, and moving moments. But as I said, the script is made up of pages just thrown in place, going from scene to scene like taking a funny turn in your car. JEEEEERRRRRRKKK. Poor pacing and placement, and Mr.Stone seemed to have done little to help in that area.
Visual Effects: 8/10
Very few effects. but what is there is great. Really not much there to critique.
Cinematography:9/10
Some bad lighting, but many many shots that are just gorgeous. It isn't the INCREDIBLE camera work of United 93, but it is impressive.
Score: 6/10
Fine score, but doesn't fit. The film is unusually without a prominent score, and not in a good way. Music to accentuate the drama was wanted and needed. Music (along with cinematography) IS one of the greatest tools of the filmmaker. It is a sin not to use it, or at least use it correctly.
In the end, a bad movie. If it were just a piece of adventure fiction flashing by at the multiplex, then I would have left ticked off at the filmmakers for a bad film. But it is a highly emotional experience,it digs deep inside, and for that I award it a...
Diagnosis: B-