kealbertson

Firefighters – the men of legends. After 9/11 their fame has reached new heights. Same is the case in Jay Russell's 2004 film Ladder 49. Russell depicts firemen as 'hometown heroes'; those real-life, normal guys who simply save lives for a living. One such guy is firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix). The movie begins with a vicious fire and a man being saved by none other than Jack Morrison. Shortly after the man is in safe keeping, the floor collapses underneath Morrison. Trapped among burning rubble, the audience relives Morrison's life through flashbacks. We see him as a rookie in the firehouse, being pranked by Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), who later becomes Jack's mentor. Morrison remembers meeting his wife, getting married, and the birth of his first child. Not all the memories are pleasant: there is a fair share of funerals. Funerals of his friends, the men he worked with to save lives. Between flashbacks, Captain Kennedy is trying desperately to save Morrison from the engulfing flames and collapsing rubble.

With Ladder 49, Russell tries to show us the real side of firefighters. He tries to stay away from the Hollywood portrayal of a superhuman, death defying firefighters. There's plenty of Hollywood glitz and glam, but only as special effects to make the reality even more horrifying. Russell depicts the real side of these heroes. He shows everyday men trying to do good, helping out a man in need, and being mercilessly killed for it. Russell takes the post 9/11 image of these superhero firefighters and reduces it to what, deep inside, we always knew was the truth: firefighters are just men like everyone else. He does an excellent job of showing how they struggle with their family lives, with money, and how they hurt.

While this was a brilliant and skillfully produced film, it left me feeling empty, slightly disturbed. Two hours later, all I knew is that this wasn't the movie I was hoping to see. I, like many of my fellow moviegoers, was expecting those superhuman, death defying firefighters, the ones who always make it out unscathed. I left the theater, soaked with tears, wondering why it had to be like that. Well, to be frank, because it was real. It wasn't your happy-go-lucky story with the perfect ending; it ends how life ends, sometimes unfair. While this movie won't sit well with the easily emotional, you should definitely go see it. It is an exceptional, beautiful film and has something most movies lack today – reality. I recommend seeing it in the theater for the full effect, but if public displays of emotion are too much for you, go ahead and rent it. Just make sure you know what you are getting in to or you are going to feel cheated.

Elegant costumes, beautiful scenery, and piano playing in excess all add to the sights and sounds of Mira Nair's film 'Vanity Fair.' Her 2004 version is one of over ten tries to put William Makepeace Thackeray's novel onto the big screen. Most attempts failed miserably, lacking the magic of today's movies and failing to grasp the themes of the novel. Nair's version, with its visual and audible pleasures, has the potential to become one of the few successful attempts. With humble beginnings as a poor child with a starving artist as her father, Becky (Reese Witherspoon) was determined to overcome her circumstance. She managed to work her way into a governess position in a down-on-his-luck aristocrat. New opportunities arise, and she hastily abandons her post to become the companion to a wealthy woman known only as Miss Crawley (Eileen Atkins). Much to Miss Crawley's displeasure, Becky wastes no time in her quest to climb the social ladder and marries into the family. Becky's new husband, Crawley's nephew, is soon sent off to war. Returning after the battle of Waterloo, their marriage is rocky due to his gambling debts and her never-ending quest to raise her social status. Meeting a man who collected her late father's art, she uses his money and his influence to continue her rise in the social hierarchy, causing more distress to their marriage. Nair attempted to bring something new to the film, using her fantastic creative talents in the costuming and scenery. Her musical choices weren't overwhelming and accented the film rather than hiding behind its beautiful visual aspects. She tried to cover the expanse of the novel, but ending up making a summary of the story and leaving the characters bland and undeveloped. Nair intentionally portrays Becky as a victim of the social system, showing her as merely taking advantage of circumstantial events. This contradicts harshly with Thackeray's Becky, who is manipulative and cunning, turning circumstantial events into anything that will benefit her rise up the social ladder. This movie is beautifully made and had the potential to become something great, but Nair's overly eager attempt leaves it as nothing more than another mediocre film. Had she paid as much attention to the plot and the characters as she did to the audio and visual aspects, this would definitely be the best film of the year. But she didn't, so don't waste your seven dollars to see it in the theater. Wait for the video, or better yet, wait for that one Friday night when you are home alone and it comes on cable.