World Trade Center - What Nicolas Cage did During the Attack

Went and saw World Trade Center this weekend. I went in with some trepidation about whether the scenes of destruction would be too overwhelming, or whether the political notes sounded by Oliver Stone would be too sour.

Walking out, I felt like I had seen a buddy picture about guys trapped in a cave of rubble. If anything, the movie was so totally devoid of genuine emotion that it failed its subject matter. The movie could have been about the rescue of two noble spelunkers. It dodged the hurt and confusion of the day, and focused in on a mildly inspiring story of two indisputably good guys who managed to survive it through good luck. It even ignored the deaths of the other policemen who rushed in to try to help.

The movie World Trade Center is kind of like a film about the guy playing shortstop when Babe Ruth called his shot, or about the horse that came in fifth or seventh when Secretariat won the Triple Crown. A mildly interesting story is not made better because it is set in one of the most dramatic moments of our young century.

Go rent Valley Girl or Raising Arizona if you like Nicolas Cage. If you want to see a good movie about the events of September 11, you'd better wait a decade or so.