CORPORATE LINE: What does it take for a man to run into a burning building when everybody else is running out?
Why do firemen leave their families each morning to risk their lives for strangers?
“Ladder 49” is an exciting, powerful film that celebrates the ordinary men who put everything on the line every day. The film chronicles Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison (JOAQUIN PHOENIX) as he makes the transition from inexperienced rookie to seasoned veteran. As he struggles to cope with a risky, demanding job that often shortchanges his wife and kids, he relies on the support of his mentor and chief, Mike Kennedy (JOHN TRAVOLTA) and his second family–the brotherly bond between the men of the firehouse. But when Jack becomes trapped in the worst blaze of his career, his life and the things he holds important–family, dignity, courage–come into focus. As his fellow firemen of Ladder 49 do all they can to rescue him, Jack’s life hangs in the balance.
THE GOOD: Visually “Ladder 49” is fantastic. You feel like you are there fighting the fire. Better yet, the fires aren’t always overblown. Sometimes they are smaller fires on the third story of a house that they put out without incident. It’s an interesting introduction because it doesn’t shoot straight for the exceptional. You can still feel the fire is dangerous without it blowing up every building they show up to.
The cast is full of wonderful actors who do a good job portraying regular guys who do extraordinary work. Travolta doesn’t play his character down enough to make him seem like the regular guy while Joaquin Phoenix does a decent job playing everyman.
THE BAD: Director Jay Russell tries to hook us emotionally by the use of flashbacks—which is not entirely a bad thing however when you aren’t sure of the time frame it can get confusing. If you have to figure out what is going on then the failure falls on the director.
FRANKLY: Just because John Travolta is in the film doesn’t mean it’s bad. The problem is how “Ladder 49” falls into place. It’s set up like a horror movie where the fire is the bad guy that knocks your cast off one at a time. Does this happen in real life? Certainly firefighters die from fires but watch the film and see if you don’t agree that we are only introduced to the characters so that we are emotionally charged when they die. It’s not fair and it’s a bad way to try and get us involved in a film that has uses such tactics to make us interested.
+ Charlie Craine
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