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*** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

post #1 of 13
8/9/06 at 9:43am
Thread Starter 
This is the Official Discussion Thread for WORLD TRADE CENTER. Please post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of WORLD TRADE CENTER should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

This thread is for discussing the film itself. Commentary on matters not directly related to the film will cause the post to be deleted. Thanks for your cooperation.

M.
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post #2 of 13
8/9/06 at 1:39pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

Saw this today and liked, not loved it. It was a bit surreal watching it since I know Will Jimeno, played by Michael Pena.

Everyone was solid in it, but I guess I was expecting the power of United 93, which this film doesn't equal.While that film was an unflinching look at what (probably) happened, this film is more of a family film, with a much happier outcome.

Look for the real Will playing a PA cop, who wishes rookie Michael Pena good luck in the locker room.

it definitely had a "hollywood" feel to it, but was subdued for an Oliver Stone film. Not political at all, which I was happy to see.

Worth seeing.
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post #3 of 13
8/9/06 at 2:45pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

Tino,
let me ask, did the fact that Nicholas Cage played one of the policemen distract you in any way? I don't know, IMO they should have used an unknown to play this role, the fact that I look at him and see Nicholas Cage's face takes away from the realism a bit than if it were a face that I had never seen before.

I haven't seen the film yet but want to, hopefully i'll get the chance to see it in the theater.
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post #4 of 13
8/9/06 at 6:08pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

I'm not Tino but I was surprised by how well Nicolas Cage worked in the movie for me. I stopped noticing 'Nicolas Cage' and just saw his character. There's a ton of recognizable character actors but they all blended into the movie.
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post #5 of 13
8/12/06 at 5:04pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

The only mis-step in the film for me was Maria Bello wearing those blue contact lenses that made her look strange when her eyes were trying to say something, but just looked odd when she'd look downward. Even if the actual Donna McLoughlin had blue eyes, I don't think they should have had Bello wear blue contacts because it was distracting, and not all that germane to the story at hand.
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post #6 of 13
8/12/06 at 7:51pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Sun
The only mis-step in the film for me was Maria Bello wearing those blue contact lenses that made her look strange when her eyes were trying to say something, but just looked odd when she'd look downward. Even if the actual Donna McLoughlin had blue eyes, I don't think they should have had Bello wear blue contacts because it was distracting, and not all that germane to the story at hand.
This is a first, I actually agree with Patrick about something movie related. Those blue contact lenses actually took me out of the film for the first couple of minutes of watching her on screen.





Crawdaddy
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post #7 of 13
8/12/06 at 10:32pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

Quote:
Everyone was solid in it, but I guess I was expecting the power of United 93, which this film doesn't equal.

Quote:
Nicholas Cage played one of the policemen distract you in any way?

I'd give this out of four. I had some problems with the flashbacks, which really took away from the suspense of the two officers. Perhaps I would have given this a full four stars had I not seen UNITED 93 but after that film, this film just didn't hit me the same way. *U93 wrecked my emotions and it's a film I might not watch again so that strong impact wasn't in this film. I thought both actors did a good job but I think unknowns would have been better.

I really enjoyed the film all the way through but certain parts picked at me. I already mentioned they should have stayed with the officers. I also think the movie would have worked better had they focused on those outside the Towers who were planning the rescues of not just these men but others as well. The "family waiting at home" bit has been seen so many times in the past. I wouldn't say it bored me here but it just didn't leave much of an impact.


*On U93, I mentioned in its thread that the film really wrecked me and there were several moments that I really didn't want to watch. After seeing this tamer version I really started to ask myself if the "impact" of U93 should have been so strong. I've already said WTC didn't have such an impact so perhaps on future viewings I'll come to enjoy the film for that.
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post #8 of 13
8/13/06 at 7:01pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

I agree with the "good but not great" opinion. I wasn't able to see a lot of United 93 due to motion sickness, but from what I saw and all that I heard, I could tell it was a more intense and powerful movie than this.

~T
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post #9 of 13
8/13/06 at 10:35pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

From my perspective, this film was more powerful and emotionally effective to me than United 93 because I got an actual glimpse into the lives of the two men and their families. Both, are fine films, but I was more emotionally connected to this film than the other.




Crawdaddy
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post #10 of 13
8/14/06 at 6:13am

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

My wife and I thought the same thing about Bello. I thought the movie was good and had some very moving parts. When the officers were on the bus and it turns the corner and they are all staring at what is before them and they just sit there in silence really puts it how many of us were that day.
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post #11 of 13
8/14/06 at 8:13am

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

I'm giving it a "good" rating. Not to say the entire theater I was in wasn't crying for the better part of the film (which it was). Not to say the film is bad in any specific ways. I just can't say a movie like this is "great". It feels wrong.

I was very happy to see there weren't any conspiracy theories or overly patriotic portions of the film. Frankly, it was what I was fearing the most going in.
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post #12 of 13
8/14/06 at 2:03pm

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

I thought the movie was really well done - there were certainly moments where I felt almost claustrophobic - but to me that's a sign that the movie is doing what it's supposed to do, and that it's realistically made. Kudos to Stone for achieving that, because the desperate, trapped feeling really does transfer to the movie audience in the chairs.

I also agree that it was really emotionally powerful - I cried several times throughout it. It was really the human aspect that made it work for me, as well - all the scenes with the families, and the deciding to name the baby what the other spouse had wanted scenes were touching. And I'm not even a big Nicholas Cage fan, but I thought he did a really good job in his role, really becoming the character well. (And I can't imagine how hard it must be to act while completely buried under rocks.) Also, Michael Pena was really just amazing, all around, and if he doesn't get a Best Supporting Actor nomination, I'm going to be very surprised. I would definitely recommend seeing this. it's worth it.
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post #13 of 13
2/12/07 at 5:41am

Re: *** Official WORLD TRADE CENTER Discussion Thread

I just saw the film on DVD yesterday. Very powerful. Question - what ever happened to the gentlemen mentioned in the hospital by the mother who was talking with Maria Bello? The man's name the woman was hoping to hear from was Lawrence. He's the only person mentioned in the film by name that we don't know if he survived the nightmare.
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