Could there be such a thing as a completely apolitical, non-controversial Oliver Stone film? Can you imagine him making a film about 9/11 in which, say, Dick Cheney is not held responsible? A solemn reminder of that dreadful day, “World Trade Center” is told through the eyes of two Port Authority policemen, Sergeant John McLoughlin (Nicholas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Penn), who are called downtown after the first tower is hit and eventually find themselves trapped beneath the rubble between the towers. What makes this movie unusual is the way Stone, a master at humanizing his characters, zeroes in on the men, their memories, and their families. As the buried heroes struggle to keep up hope, we also see their wives – Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal – praying and pacing and waiting for news. The movie hammers its emotions home, but it also earns them. You won’t walk out dry-eyed, but neither will you leave feeling that it’s too soon to be reminded of what America endured on that fateful day. Four crowns
