11 settembre: Senza scampo

I saw this movie on 9/11 and there was no one else in the theater besides me. The movie felt very cheaply made and Charlie Sheen's performance was pretty laughable. Lots of monologues in this film that dragged on and characters I cared very little about, even if they were supposed to be victims of a real event. The whole concept of a movie about being trapped in an elevator is a bad idea for a movie, adding on top a real tragedy just makes it even more tasteless. Fictional characters don't belong in a movie about a tragedy so recent.

I just realized the movie came out on the weekend before 9/11's 16th anniversary, but first and foremost, this movie is about people. It's a compelling story about how strangers from all walks of life, can just so happen in an elevator, set to the background of 9/11. These people start to bond as they attempt to survive.

It's trilling, suspenseful and very dramatic, especially the performance of Charlie Sheen, proving he is still capable of playing a character that's just not himself in a way (Don't even know the last time he played someone who was not named Charlie)

The whole movie feels like a play, and then I find out in the end credits that that's exactly what it was adapted from, a play called Elevator, a title I must admit I'd prefer over 9/11.

Though I understand why they called in 9/11, what's good about this character driven piece is the fact that it's about the characters and the story happens to be set on 9/11. I just love the good life lessons the story tells as these strangers get to know each other past the stereotypes we put on people on our first impressions. Very human.

Overall, it's not the best movie but I am impressed by the adaption. It really touches on the right emotions.

http://cinemagardens.com

Since the opening scene you get a taste of the absolute mediocrity that follows for the rest of the film. There's so much wrong with it that I really don't even know where to start, but the first apparent serious problem seems to be the casting choice, and that's what probably made this movie fail in such disastrous proportions. This film needs to be shown in acting school as an example for how NOT to act, and I'm honestly very surprised that Whoopi Goldberg got herself involved in such an amateurish project, as there's a big difference between supporting a cause and agreeing to be part of a mediocre production. All the performances were terrible, but Sheen's acting in particular is so laughably bad that by the end of the movie I felt truly embarrassed for him. The script is extremely weak and lame - the dialogue between some of the characters is stupid and totally unnecessary in moments of tension that are supposed to be serious. The so called "comic relief" fails miserably and it clearly makes the scenes cringy and awkward for the actors themselves. The characters are so unlikable and annoying that at some point you actually stop caring about them, and when you have such a limited acting cast and this situation occurs you know the movie is in serious trouble. Generic camerawork and choppy editing makes the technical aspect of the production seem boring and unattractive. The overall tone of the movie is very confusing, as sometimes it feels like a low-budget horror film and other times it has the comedic vibe of a parody. All in all this has to be one of the absolute worst films of 2017.

9/11 (2017)

** (out of 4)

Jeffrey Cage (Charlie Sheen) and his wife (Gina Gershon) are in the North Tower of the World Trade Center where she is wanting him to sign some divorce papers. The two of them get on an elevator shared with Michael (Wood Harris), Tina (Olga Fonda) and Eddie (Luis Guzman) when they feel a violent shake and the elevator gets stuck. They soon learn from an elevator worker (Whoopi Goldberg) what is going on outside.

9/11 got released to some of the worst reviews that you're ever going to read. This was meant to be Sheen's big dramatic comeback picture but it barely got a release and what critics did see the picture really ripped it to pieces. Some called it a shameful piece of exploitation while others just called it a poorly made and acted film. This obviously wasn't the first film to take on that day and it wasn't even the first to use the 9/11 title. With that being said, the film certainly has some major flaws but at the same time it's not quite as bad as they made it out to be.

I think the biggest problem with the film is that the screenplay is based on fiction. There are so many stories of bravery that day and I'm not sure why the writer would elect to tell a fake story. Did they not want to pay someone for their story? I'm not sure what their reasons were but they picked a pretty poor story that would have been better suited for an Irwin Allen disaster picture. The entire subplot of the divorce leads to some very silly scenes and some even poorer dialogue. I won't ruin what happens to the people in the elevator but the ending is pretty bad on many levels.

With that said, I must say that I thought the performances were good for the most part and that includes the actors playing the people in the elevator. I thought Guzman was extremely good in his role as was Harris. Sheen also had some decent moments but I don't think the performance is what he would have hoped for. None of the actors were done any favors though because the dialogue is just pretty poor at times and the director never really builds up any tension throughout the time we're with these people in the elevator.

Another problem was that the film was shot 2.35:1, which really wasn't a wise move in a film like this where you're meant to feel claustrophobic in a tight space. It seems like I'm bashing most of the film but I will say that it held my attention throughout. The film was obviously working with a very small budget, which didn't help things and while the film isn't a success, I think it's bad reputation is a bit too harsh.

Apparently, it took over six production entities to put this THING together.

It's horrendous on every level. Script, production, performances. It looks extremely cheap. Why were these actors willing to be attached to such a sub-par film?

In the opening shot, they show a building that didn't even exist in 2001. When Whoopi is seen "walking down the street toward the towers," it is one of the worst green screen shots imaginable.

Terrible acting. Even the extras are distracting.

The lighting is inept.

Based on a play, and it is obvious. Almost TWENTY listed "producers," which means that most of them financed the film. The credits for almost everyone in the crew consist mainly of "shorts," and garbage films.

Bad, bad, bad, bad, BAD.