"WORLD TRADE CENTRE"

Taken from: http://movies.about.com/library/weekly/blworldtradecenter022806.htm

The story:

After the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001 only 20 people were pulled from the rubble alive. 20 people. Port Authority Police Sergeant John McLoughlin and Officer Will Jimeno were numbers 18 and 19. World Trade Center is their story, told through the eyes of Jimeno, McLoughlin and their families. There’s no political agenda or finger-pointing. World Trade Center is very simply a tale of hope, courage and survival on one of America’s darkest days. The film begins with the central characters going through the mundane motions of preparing for work, lining up for duty, and then heading out on patrol. From there the events of 9/11 unfold with the officers racing to the Twin Towers. Focus shifts from outside the Towers to inside, swiftly narrowing the story to spotlight a small group of Port Authority officers led by Sergeant McLoughlin (played by Nicolas Cage). Of course the officers don’t have a grasp on the full picture and, without knowing just how bad things will ultimately become, set out gathering equipment for a rescue operation that never has time to materialize. They get no further than the concourse level when the Tower falls. McLoughlin and Jimeno (Michael Pena) become pinned 20 feet below the surface under piles of twisted metal and burning rubble. Critically injured, the men spend hours keeping each other awake as their families cling to the hope they’ll somehow make it out alive.

Taken from: http://movies.about.com/od/worldtradecenter/fr/wtcreview080806.htm

The cast:

Nicholas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jay Hernandez, Michael Shannon, Stephen Dorff, Stoney Westmoreland, Frank Whaley

My comments:

The movie is based upon the true story of 2 port authority cops namely SGT JOHN McLOUGHLIN and WILL JIMENO who managed to survive the 9/11 disaster that striked America in 2002. Trapped under the rubble of the world trade centre 20 feet away from the surface, the 2 of them only have one another for company. Having sustained injuries to their bodies and gradually losing consciousness,they try to stay awake and alive by talking to one another. Topics covered included family and personal life. While all these are ongoing,the movie also focuses upon the plight of their loved ones,of their wives and children who are eagerly waiting for any news that may shed some light on their situation as well as upon a united states marine who followed his intuition to become a volunteer in search of possible survivors that eventually led to the discovery of the 2 trapped officers. Be mindful though not to expect to see the re-enactment of planes slamming into the twin towers or the events that took place as the towers came crashing down. On the other hand,since this movie is dedicated to the human spirit as well as to the importance of family in our lives What you will witness may be entirely different from what you originally expected. Instead of seeing a show about the world trade centre as the title of the movie suggests,viewers will be treated to a story that is rather untold of. It is a story about survival and how people can overcome adversity and unite as a single group to help those in need. It is also about how there are people out there who would rather risk their lives just to save the lives of others because they believe that they are there for a reason. Although the show was alittle draggy due to the numerous dialogues, it had nonetheless managed to convey it's intended message across and i was deeply touched at certain points of the show. 2 areas i feel are worth mentioning are 1)the part whereby the 2 trapped officers were hoisted out to safety and a human chain was formed to slowly hand carry them out by stretcher and 2) the part when Sergeant John Mcloughlin finally saw his worried wife once again at the hospital and he commented " you kept me alive" as it was the thought of her that kept him going. I teared when it came to those 2 parts of the show because in 1) , along the human chain,everyone was giving well wishes to the 2 who were rescued and in 2) , i felt that it was really wonderful to have a loved one as the strength for survival. From these 2,we can clearly see how powerful the human spirit is and despite times of darkness brought about by the cowardly acts of terror,no amount of death or destruction can break the will of the human mind and the strong bonds that form when people come together for a united cause. Henceforth an interpretation of a quote from the movie that 9/11 not only exposed us to the evilness of the human heart which occurred in the form of terrorism,it also allowed us to catch a glimpse of the fundamental ingredient that makes up a human being.....Goodness,the reason why people stand united and go all out to help those in need. It is a truly inspirational show worth watching but once again,do not expect to see any action.=)