When I went in to watch this I really didn't know what to expect. But when I left I was totally blown away.

This movie is very sad and very real and it's hard to call it great but not because the film was bad, just because it isn't great seeing the images they put up there.

All I can say is to watch this movie. It is a great movie and a very inspiring story. This is the kind of movie that I want to make.

There is a good historical film every once in a while and this is the next one. This is Oliver Stone's greatest picture, I think, and he handles the subject matter perfectly.

If this film doesn't win best picture I don't know what will. It totally deserves it.

***** out of *****

-Chris

The only thing that was kind of stupid was that when they showed footage of President Bush, everyone very disrespectfully laughed. Even if you don't like the president, you don't laugh in a movie like this. And the dude in front of me was cussing up storm when Bush came on. He talked to himself for like 10 minutes...everyone was looking at him.

I saw it yesterday. I didn't no what to except but very good stuf being Oliver Stone. It was amazing. He did a excellent job. I loved how he put no actors up untill the end and until after the victims names were put up on the screen. It is a very sad movie. Amazing they got out though. It's a tale that will go down in history. The first major attack on America. Oliver did fine on the movie.

I caught this last night and I was totally blown away with it.  Oliver Stone did a great job of handling a touchy subject and made you feel every bit of fear and pain that these characters had to endure.  This is right up there with Flight 93 as one of the best movies of 2006.  

  

I just got back from this.  From the trailer I didn't think it looked like a typical Oliver stone movie, but really it is.  There is no crazy MTV style visuals, but they way the story is told has his own stamp on it.  Some of the best scenes are scenes that would probably end up on the cutting room floor by some other director, not stone, he has scenes that are just about character, not plot, which is why his stories work most of the time.

This was a very good film, the two leads are amazing considering they spend 95% of the movie under rubble.  This will probably get Nicolas Cage another Oscar nod, if not win.

"Vicariously I live, while the whole world dies.  Much better you than I."

That quote is from the band Tool's lastest single "Vicarious" and I think that statement truly embodies what human nature is about.  People love to see others suffering, in pain, dying, or in some type of other perilous situation, as long as it doesn't affect themselves, or those close to them.  This film was just 2 hours of ridiculous and depressing images that really aren't that inspiring to begin with.

Director George Bush, er, I mean Oliver Stone's recap of the World Trade Center collapse in 2001 is so cliche filled, and overkill in the tear jerker department, that it was almost painful to watch.  And not because of the situation, but for the fact that this movie will be looked upon as a great film just because of it's content, when in fact it is very poorly written.  

I'm sure no one knows or even really cares who the screenwriter is, but I do.  Her name is Andrea Berloff and this is her first feature length script.  Her credits before this include a single 4 minute short called Domestic, which details the travel of a man searching for a model.  Her script is so full of ridiculous dialogue that I nearly laughed out loud.  "God made a curtain to hide what's really down there from us" has to be at the top of the list.  She saturated the screenplay with Hallmark moment flashbacks and perfect people that have no problems.

I don't really care for Oliver Stone's prior works so I really can't comment on his style.  The film played like a mainstream film, so I don't have any complaits there.  The main problem with this movie is that it is just too damn depressing.  So depressing to the point that it became boring.  I had to keep myself awake at certain moments because it just kept chugging along with scene after scene of gratiuitous crying and cheesy dialogue.  I don't see how this film is great, because it isn't anything special.  It's a rescue story of two characters that we know nothing about.  But I guess the fact that they are "New Yorkers working that day" we automatically have to feel sorry for them.  Whatever.  They were not the only people that were rescued that day.  I also found the little jab at Iraq via the Staff Sergeant's final lines at the end pretty tasteless as well.

I know my bitching and complaining will not be heard, and this film will for some unknown reason be nomiated for an Acadamy Award, and hell, it might even win, which I think is preposterous.  This is not a well-written movie at all, and if Andrea Berloff is even nominated for an award, I will never watch or follow the Acadamy Awards ever again in my life.  And that is a promise.

I am not partial to the actual men that lived through this, however.  These men had to go through a lot to live and I think it is amazing that they made it out alive.  They have my utmost respect, but  I just think it is a shame that they had to be portrayed so corny.  I also loved the claustrophopic scenes in the film, because those were truly amazing shots.  To be trapped like that for nearly a day would drive me crazy.  

All this film is, is another propoganda tool to Conservative political minded and religious minded people, that if you believe in God and in your government, you will be safe.  If that is how you think, that is fine with me, but don't drag me along for the ride.  

* 1/2 out of ****

Humans love to watch tragedy.  It's just something that needs to be accepted.  As long as there are more and more terrible acts in this world, someone will be there to write a script and make a movie.  

.

Quoted Text Stone is a communist.

Do you even no what a communist is?? Stone is nowhere near a Communist.

Quoted from God of Thunder . Do you even no what a communist is?? Stone is nowhere near a Communist.

If you're a dear friend of Fidel Castro, then chances are you're a Communist.

I'm curious to those who have seen this film already.  Are there any explosions?  Do we actually see crashes and collapses? Or is this just one long depressing story with dialogue that no one ever says in real life?

None of the trailers interested me at all because of just that---Stone looks to be taking an overly emotional approach to this.  Of course it needs emotion, but not to the point where it's just blaah.  

Yes, you see the towers fall and you see people jumping from the buildings and all that stuff. You're in the tower when it starts to fall and then it cuts to a close up of the outside falling, basically, right toward you.

They never actually show a plane hit the towers. You see a shadow go over a building and then hear an explosion. Which sort of keeps it like you are actually there, not knowing what's going on and stuff like that.

-Chris

You actually don't see the towers fall from the outside, only on televison, it is seen from the inside, it's quite frightning.  Most of the movie it's just two guys trapped in rubble, mostly just close ups of their faces.

Know what's embarrassing is that until a couple years ago I didn't know what a communist was, not until an episode of Seinfeld, and I'm canadian, we're kinda socialists, which is as close to communist as you can get without actually being one.

I have no idea if stone is a communist, and if he is I really don't care.  most of his movies are good, so as long as he keeps plucking them out I will go and see them, especially if they are as good as this one.

I liked it. Dragged in some parts. The acting was amazing. BUT did anyone get a little turned off or even creeped out when Will suddenly has the vision of Jesus? I didn't like that.

-ONEY

I, even being a Christian, though that they did a sort of corny job with the Jesus thing.

I mean, I'm glad they included things like that...but they could've done it in a more...serious way.

-Chris

The Jesus thing was very Oliver Stonish, kinda like the Indian from The Doors.  I think under the circumstances, with the guy being Catholic and all, he probably thought he did see Jesus.