Cagey performance

After United 93, the second film which looks at the events of 9/11 is Oliver Stone’s surprisingly polemic-free World Trade Center [sic]. It’s a simple, straightforward story that scales events down. Rather than the full tragedy, Stone focuses on two policemen attempting to rescue workers from the first tower, who ended up trapped themselves as the tower collapsed.

Detractors have accused the film of being about two men who can’t move, trapped in the dark. In fact, Stone opens the film up so that while some of the focus is on John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), more of the film is about the confusion at their family homes, the lack of information and the general frustration and impotence felt by so many. By scaling things down, Stone has managed to humanise the story without detracting from the overall impact.

Politics are kept to a minimum – surely a first for Stone? – with just the bare facts covered at appropriate points. There is a flash of jingoism but, in this context, it doesn’t jar because it’s clearly based on the facts of the story.

Cage is more controlled than normal – no pun intended – and Pena does what he can but the honours must go to Maria Bello and the always watchable Maggie Gyllenhaal as the wives ticking off the minutes waiting for news and trying to hold their families together.

This is a simple, old-fashioned film that will resonate long after the final scenes and provides a suitable, non-mawkish memorial to events of that day.

DVD extras include: commentary by Oliver Stone, the real Will Jimeno and other rescuers; deleted scenes; a making of featurette.