Ladder 49 is very hard to judge because its theme - American fire fighters post 9/11 - goes under the skin of anyone but the most insensible viewer.
The movie instantly reminded me of the earlier Mel Gibson vehicle "We were soldiers" which is very similar in tone and has many parallels including the worrying wife hoping a certain car will never stop in front of the house.
In a way the two films are versions of the war movies directly post WWII but more thoughtful and melancholic in tone.
Even though a bit hard (and perhaps unfair) to compare, I prefer "Ladder 49" to "We were Soldiers". Maybe one reason is that by the very nature of a fire fighter movie, no politics are directly involved.
This is a movie stripped from subplots and deeper character studies. It is very high on melodrama but it works very well on that level. Its heroes are not testosterone-driven but rather silent and maybe even mellow in tone. Even the usually tough-as-nails Robert Patrick is at his most likable here.
Joaquin Phoenix is brilliantly cast as the lead. I was reminded of James Caviezel's portrait of the soldier in "The Thin Red Line" who appears to be mild mannered but volunteers to be among the first to face the enemy. "Ladder" certainly will catapult Phoenix to a firm place as an A-list actor. I try very hard to see his performance unclouded by emotion. As far as I can manage it still stands as flawless. I expect standing ovations if Phoenix shows up at this years Oscar ceremony.
John Travolta does a very decent job at playing it straight, sincere and honest.
The action scenes are great and look very real. Unlike the Ron Howard's "Backdraft", "Ladder" is not fascinated by flames. These are always seen as a deadly menace, no place for pyromaniacs here.
Yes this movie plays it safe and straight and the melodrama is cranked up to heart-breaking levels - but it does a fine job of saying a well deserved thanks to fire fighters. By keeping deeper personal matters of the characters and little side plots out of the way the movie is free to just portray the spirit of the main characters. It is not about a career, about a dream, about underdogs making it and finally get their reward. This is not even about how blue collar people are more pure, do the "real" work and whatnot. This is about a spirit, which IMHO is one large step ahead. This message cannot be understood - it must be felt. I don't see any real hypocrisy in this movie: the message isn't sold through any kind of corporate image. Absolutely no "let's all carry on no matter what!" CD by a rock/pop group or artist for sale here.
The classic "The Towering Inferno", IMHO still the best of the 1970s disaster flicks, comes along as total schlock by comparison. Of course the latter was made 30 years ago in a totally different kind of world.
It is hard to foresee how well Ladder 49 will stand the test of time. I think it will do just fine. Joaquin Phoenix alone is worth the price of admission.
The movie instantly reminded me of the earlier Mel Gibson vehicle "We were soldiers" which is very similar in tone and has many parallels including the worrying wife hoping a certain car will never stop in front of the house.
In a way the two films are versions of the war movies directly post WWII but more thoughtful and melancholic in tone.
Even though a bit hard (and perhaps unfair) to compare, I prefer "Ladder 49" to "We were Soldiers". Maybe one reason is that by the very nature of a fire fighter movie, no politics are directly involved.
This is a movie stripped from subplots and deeper character studies. It is very high on melodrama but it works very well on that level. Its heroes are not testosterone-driven but rather silent and maybe even mellow in tone. Even the usually tough-as-nails Robert Patrick is at his most likable here.
Joaquin Phoenix is brilliantly cast as the lead. I was reminded of James Caviezel's portrait of the soldier in "The Thin Red Line" who appears to be mild mannered but volunteers to be among the first to face the enemy. "Ladder" certainly will catapult Phoenix to a firm place as an A-list actor. I try very hard to see his performance unclouded by emotion. As far as I can manage it still stands as flawless. I expect standing ovations if Phoenix shows up at this years Oscar ceremony.
John Travolta does a very decent job at playing it straight, sincere and honest.
The action scenes are great and look very real. Unlike the Ron Howard's "Backdraft", "Ladder" is not fascinated by flames. These are always seen as a deadly menace, no place for pyromaniacs here.
Yes this movie plays it safe and straight and the melodrama is cranked up to heart-breaking levels - but it does a fine job of saying a well deserved thanks to fire fighters. By keeping deeper personal matters of the characters and little side plots out of the way the movie is free to just portray the spirit of the main characters. It is not about a career, about a dream, about underdogs making it and finally get their reward. This is not even about how blue collar people are more pure, do the "real" work and whatnot. This is about a spirit, which IMHO is one large step ahead. This message cannot be understood - it must be felt. I don't see any real hypocrisy in this movie: the message isn't sold through any kind of corporate image. Absolutely no "let's all carry on no matter what!" CD by a rock/pop group or artist for sale here.
The classic "The Towering Inferno", IMHO still the best of the 1970s disaster flicks, comes along as total schlock by comparison. Of course the latter was made 30 years ago in a totally different kind of world.
It is hard to foresee how well Ladder 49 will stand the test of time. I think it will do just fine. Joaquin Phoenix alone is worth the price of admission.