By Holly Brown

Starring Nicholas Cage, Michael Pena, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Stephen Dorff
Directed by Oliver Stone
Rated PG-13
1 Pulse

When preparing to see a film based on 9-11, probably the most important event in this nation’s history since the Civil War, and directed by Oliver Stone, one of the boldest big-budget directors in Hollywood, one tends to prepare themselves to encounter something daring, something intense, and perhaps something a little accusatory. Instead, what we encounter here is something far more along the lines of a sentimental human-interest piece one might expect to see as a Lifetime original.

It’s probable that Stone was immobilized by the seriousness of the event the movie was based on. However, if that was the case, it would have been a better decision on his part to scrap the project all together than to trudge onward with a film so blas’ that it actually downplays the horror of that day.

It is curious that he would go ahead with this project so soon after 9-11. Had there been an important message or question posed by the film, it might have made sense. As it is, however, the film doesn’t offer anything of value. It is extremely patronizing in its lack of faith in the average American’s ability to empathize with 9-11 victims and their families to the point of offending.

The acting was good, for the most part, but lost in a film that had no clear destination. The story of the harrowing ordeal of police officers John McLoughlin (Cage) and Will Jimeno (Pena), who entered the North Tower in a rescue attempt but were buried in rubble in an elevator terminal between the towers, is an important one. The film goes awry in portraying their story as the most important one.

Stone loses much clout with this project, which boils down to an attempt to exploit a national tragedy. This late in his career, it’s not likely that he’ll be able to overcome it.