The Red Right Hand
  www.theredrighthand.co.uk





WORLD TRADE CENTRE
 A True Story Of Courage And Survival

Director
Oliver Stone
Starring
Nicholas Cage
Michael Pena
Maria Bello
Maggie Gyllenhaal

Considering the last time I reviewed a 9/11 related movie I received a barrage of offensive e-mails, stating that I was insensitive, unpatriotic and a no-good bastard, I was somewhat hesitant to write this review. Luckily for me (and possibly yourselves) I have come to a delightful conclusion: imbeciles talk the loudest. First of all, I was in no way insensitive with my United 93 review, I knew that people would have something to say because I didn't think the film was spectacular but I didn't think there would be so many. Secondly, I'm not unpatriotic because I'm not American (shock, horror!) and on top of that, I have a loyalty for my own country and its' state of affairs but that doesn't mean I cannot criticise things I don't agree with - do you see the beauty of a true democratic state? To finish this little rant I would like to reiterate something I pointed out at the start of my previous review; This is not a review of the events but of this specific retelling of said events. Anything negative I have to say is with regards to the portrayal and not the incident in question. Thank you. Oliver Stone. I used to like Mr. Stone a fair bit up until the mid-90's, when his career took a severe battering with a hash of mediocre releases. For those of you that don't know Stone's style, he films with a very clear political mindset, littered with conspiracy, lengthy dream sequences and over-the-top camerawork. Oddly enough, this new release has remnants but very little that labels it as an Oliver Stone film. Of course, there are times when he simply can't help himself and has to resort to a high-intensity blur-shot of Jesus with a bottle of water but you can't be something you're not.

Of all the stories Stone could have chosen to tell on that day, he has opted for a close, personal tale of two men in particular. I'm a little bit annoyed about this; granted United 93 was, for the most part, in real time and everything that happens focuses on those on the flight but I was expecting something we won't see for many years to come; a 9/11 film. There have been plenty of documentaries and made-for-TV movies around the whole day but nothing that starts on September 11, 2001 and shows not only all the planes but also America's reaction - since it's a little too close-to-home we are only allowed to be reminded of specific accounts from the day in question. With that in mind, the first thirty minutes of this film are remarkably well done. The film opens as the day starts, with officers waking up and slowly making their way to work. Everything is business as usual until a shadow briefly casts itself over the streets, followed by a tremendous shaking. Told from the cop's perspectives, it's difficult to tell what's going on. The thing that struck me though, was the 15 minutes before the second plane hit, the audience knew it was coming but no one knew how long it would take, story-wise. All of the shots have digitally restored the twin towers, using the documented footage as a guideline for the smoke and debris. The chaos at ground zero isn't really apparent until the second tower is hit. One plane was a travesty but two was something that nobody saw coming. People were quickly but quite calmly shuffling out of the building, evacuating as quickly as they could, thinking more about fires than the building coming down. As Sgt. John McLoughlin [Cage] and Officer Will Jimeno [Pena] are going through the concourse between the two buildings the second plane hits. McLoughlin's previous experience with the 1993 bombings clicked in gear and he desperately herds his men into the elevator shaft - the strongest point of the building. Everything caves in and the screen goes black.

Despite being tasteful and well-acted, this is the part where the film goes downhill. It's horrible to say but it still needs to be said, from here on in, it get a little dull. *Pause for abuse* I can't help it, I sat there and these two men were talking under rubble, there's little to show, little they can talk about and it's a boring thing to watch. I'm not saying the event isn't tragic, nor denying their talking helped each other through the ordeal but to ask an audience to sit there and watch it is going to spurn two reactions: those who empathise and wail their guts out and those who want to move on to something else. Which brings me to that 'something else' - the family's story. Both cops have wives, kids, parents and siblings, all of whom are aware that they are working in the wreckage area. It's a very well portrayed part of the story, illustrating the trauma was wide felt and most families involved went through Hell (not allocating special treatment there, just passing on something the film points out). Although Maria Bello brings an excellent performance, trying to remain strong for her children while coping with the possibility that her husband may be lost to her, her performance just annoyed me. I'm sorry, it was her contacts. I know, I know, that's stupid but I couldn't get past it. In a day-and-age where we can use computer graphics to seamlessly change people's eye and hair colour why are we still resorting to bulky glass lenses? They just look wonky and fake! ......but this is a pet peeve and something I shouldn't really trouble you with, so let's move on

Something I was a little pleased/shocked to see was something I didn't see. We saw a man jump from the North Tower and hurtle to his demise, we saw blood, limbs and ash but no flag. Not one US flag. Don't get me wrong, this is a good thing, if there's one thing a director can do to foul up it's slapping an uplifting classical piece over the top of someone working/crying in front of a flopping, flapping flag. The whole thing screams patriotic garbage, milking the audience for all their worth. I'll be honest, I know there are going to be many more 9/11 films, the majority of which will be awful. I'm really keen to see the two very different waves; the first being the Rambo flick - something that was hinted at in this film [see notable character below]. A man witnesses the towers fall, joins the military and wins the war for Americans, lots of explosions, slo-mo running, saving busty office workers and kissing babies before shooting some no-good Iraqi bastards but still having time to liberate Guantanamo Bay innocents; because that's what America is all about.... apparently. The other one is the tear jerking, weepy-eyed drek, full of speeches, crying, hugging, slow motion walking (and the occasional wiping of the sweaty brow), crying and a flag waving proud and majestically in the background of every shot; because this too is what America is all about.... apparently. All joking aside there is an element of seriousness following the stupid happy barbecue ending, to keep the Texans happy, as Stone lists the names and numbers of those involved. As you leave the cinema you can't help but feel emotional and embittered but unlike United 93 this film focuses not on the evils of men but on the ability for man to unite in a time of despair and chaos - even if it's only for a limited time before they get angry about it and kill each other. It's lengthy and tastefully done but manages to be more accessible than most of Stone's previous offerings, leaving me with one open answered question; will this movie spark more interest in the UK than United 93? Will the inclusion of big screen names and effects draw more British citizens to the cinemas? We shall see.

Release Date:
29th September 2006

The Scene To Look Out For:
We go from an exterior shot of a church, inside a board reads 'Pentecost' and two hymns are listed. The church is completely empty. I found this wonderfully interesting and poignant of the current state of the American nation. The one place you would think Americans would flock is languishing because it doesn't have a television. During WWII wireless radios were set up in churches, so those praying could be updated as and when details came in. Congregation-less, Karnes discusses his need to go to New York with his priest but that's not the highlight, it's the fact that Americans used God (especially the President) to fuel and (to extents) justify the following war that I'm surprised that there was only one man who felt the need to go to church.

Notable Characters:
Staff Sergeant Karnes [Michael Shannon], an ex-marine, turned telemarketer or something. He witnesses what's happening on TV, storms out of the office stating, "I don't know if you realise it, but we're at war" and makes his way ....to the barbers, to get a haircut and then it's on to New York! Why? I don't know! You don't either! And neither does he but it's so damn heroic! Impersonating an officer, leaving your work station and trampling all over a disaster area! God bless America! He's a soulless, 1000 yard stare kinda guy with one agenda; help those in need of it and kill those responsible. A lot of cold glare-acting that Stone seems to love in his desensitised marines.

Highlighted Quote:
"We prepared for everything. Not for this. Not for something this size; there's no plan"

In A Few Words:
"Unlike Stone's previous works but still well filmed and tastefully done, having said that there are too many dull, sappy moments to keep the audience glued"

Total Score:
7/10


Matthew Stogdon