If there was ever a film where it could be considered a nuisance, it's this. Widely considered to be highly offensive and distasteful upon its release on Sept 8th 2017. This movie directed & written by Martin Guigui with help from co-writer Steven Golebiowski is notorious best remember for its casting of actor Charlie Sheen, a controversial Sept 11th conspiracy theorist as the lead role in their adaptation of playwright Patrick James Carson's stage play 'Elevator'. While, his acting is nothing new in the film as millionaire Jeffery Cage. His presence in this production and large amount of control of the script is highly jarring. I don't know why the director was so driven to get Sheen to pick this role; even after the actor first dismiss it. It's like if director Steven Spielberg really wanting to hired Holocaust denier author David Irving by offering him to rewrite the screenplay for 1993 'Schindler's List'. It's doesn't make sense. Either Martin is total insane madman or he's a secret genius doing this as a publicity stunt. After all, controversy did draw eyeballs to the product. That's how I found out about this movie. Nevertheless in the end, Sheen indeed took the job. Although, he apologized for some of his more offensive claims. He pretty much got his wish. Not only did the movie allow the outspoken advocate of the truth movement, a platform to hint the collapse of the WTC being a controlled destruction throughout the movie, but it also allow the actor to look like the serious dramatic performer. He did this to save face after years upon years of making himself look like a fool through his many infidelities, poor comedic roles, problems with the law, his awful public relationship with the media in which he call himself 'a winning warlock with tiger blood' while high on drugs and his troublesome outrageous backstage antics with producers. He got all the spotlight. In truth, the movie is supposed to be about a group of people stuck in a lift as the attacks on the World Trade Center unfolds around them. Yet, it center stage Sheen as Cage as the de facto conservative white messiah leader having to led the stereotypical poorly written clueless women like his soon to be ex-wife Eve (Gina Gershon) & trophy wife, Tina (Olga Fonda) & two bickering racist minorities like custodial engineer Eddie (Luis Guzman) & bike messenger Michael (Wood Harris) out of their unfortunate circumstances through cheesy and clunky lines of dialogue. The movie even ends with the character sacrificing his life, in order to do so without telling us if any of the other characters survived. It's essentially grandiose, exhibitionistic, and highly narcissistic. Just like Charlie Sheen in real life. It stick out like a sour thumb. Despite that, the other performers were alright in their acting with the limited time, they were given. With Whoopi Goldberg perhaps being the best from all of them. However, there is other reasons to hate the movie on, besides the mediocrity acting. One of them is the fact that instead of telling the true life story of any of the survivors or victims of the tragedy, the film chose instead to tell an imaginary one. Don't get me wrong, I know fictional films like 2011 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' or even 2010 'Remember Me' used elements of the event as well. However, 9/11 wasn't those film's main focus. In this movie, the unfolding of the disaster is ever so presence. It really needed to be historical accurate. The event should had been told by people who were there rather than a script student from Pima Community College in Tuscon, Arizona. It's sad, because there were real life people being stuck in an elevator that day that could had needed the limelight. Their stories were interesting. Yet, for a number of reasons, this made up one is not. One big mistake is adding unneeded drama and action to the already built up intense film. Moments like the 'Tower of Terror' like freefall look highly hilarious with the film's low budget green scenes & wired work. Also, the movie felt a need to drag with the characters having a 'Breakfast Club' style discussion between them. For a flick that has a run time of 90 minutes, it certainly has a lot of fitter and padding. The director really does used the archive news footage of the events, a little too much. To the point that the film was condemned by survivors, politicians, and celebrities for using the tragedy for financial gain. I have to somewhat agree. I would have love to see whatever made profits from this movie go to New York City charities or the victim's families rather than Hollywood big heads. This film stinks of exploitation. Thank goodness, it became a box office flop. Not even Sheen bother going to the premiere. Overall: While, we should never forget what happen on Sept 11th 2001. I think it might be best to forget that this movie existed. In the end, this is one flick not worth remembering.
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dragonencore24 March 2022I was drawn to this because I felt it would be a good story. Some decent actors in this film. Unfortunately the acting in this film was not very good.
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subxerogravity10 September 2017I 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 -
mich999920 December 2017If you are expecting a film depicting the events of 9/11 then you will be very disappointed.
This film should be called 'Stuck in a Lift', because other than the fact it is set on 9/11 and the building subsequently collapses, it could be any high rise any city any time.
The characters are typical American stereotypes, so obviously chosen to try and make a film with about the dozen people in it interesting. A millionaire, a spoilt selfish brat of a wife, a very attractive feminist woman who just happens to be having an affair with an older man, a delivery guy and a maintenance man. hmm....
As for the plot. So ridiculous it's funny. The lift stops. Fair enough. But still has power and all the communications work? Then the cables snap and it falls I think 37 floors. But it stops at lobby level. Then more cables snap and it drops further. A door held closed by a solenoid, and a bolt closed escape hatch. Insulting the intelligence!
The acting is wooden and the script about as boring as it can get.
The title is nothing more than an insensitive link to tragic events to try and make a boring TV film plot appear more interesting, using the events of 9/11 to add some excitement.
It's all so so wrong........... -
WashyBanjo8 October 2017I 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.
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cschultz-211 September 2017Although a few exceptional motion pictures have been based upon the tragic events which occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001—including 2002's "The Guys," Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" from 2006, and Paul Greenglass' "United 93" from the same year—the new picture "9/11" is not among them. Not hardly. Not even close.
"9/11" is adapted from a 2011 stage piece written by Patrick Carson entitled "Elevator," originally presented at the Pima Community College in Tuscon, Arizona. Retitled "9/11," the picture concerns a group of five people trapped in an elevator in the World Trade Center's North Tower, working together to try to free themselves after the impact of the first airplane.
Present in the elevator are Charlie Sheen and Gina Gershon as a bickering couple on the cusp of divorce, a bicycle messenger played by Wood Harris, the Russian-born actress Olga Fonda as wealthy man's mistress, and a janitor played by the talented character actor Luis Guzman. Working to help save the five are a dedicated group which includes WTC elevator controller Whoopi Goldberg.
Adapted by Carson's minimalist stage piece by Steven Goleblowski, Martin Guigui, and Carson himself and directed by Guigui, "9/11" reduces the September 11 attacks to the proportions of a low budget, made-for-television disaster movie, complete with the one- dimensional, stereotypical characterizations usually found in that genre.
As a result, "9/11" seems almost to border on blasphemy, trivializing the enormous gravity of the events of that day, inexplicably subtracting from the narrative the almost limitless emotional intensity present in the tragedy.
Charlie Sheen is a particularly unfortunate choice for casting in a picture which purports to depict the experiences of September 11. The actor's irresponsible and often clownish offscreen antics have likely prohibited him from ever again being considered a viable actor, apparently even in the realm of television situation comedy.
Sheen a decade ago was additionally responsible for remarks which seemed to suggest the September 11 attacks were a hoax perpetrated by the liberal press remarks for which Sheen has recently apologized, apparently for reasons related to the release of this film, but conspicuously has not retracted.
"9/11" mines for financial profit the abomination and infinite heartbreak of September 11, and as such is an assault not only on popular culture, but also on our shared heritage. The release of the picture to coincide with the sixteenth anniversary of the tragedy stinks of exploitation.
Just ignore this one—without any attention at the box office, "9/11" will disappear quickly on its own merits or its lack of them. -
potipiroon13 June 2022Yes, as other people have said, if you expect to see a movie about the details of 911, this is not the movie for you. But if you wanna enjoy yourself with a movie about people who are stuck in the elevator in the North Tower on September 11 who are trying to save their own lives, this is the movie for you. Not Oscar worthy, of course, but there were some good moments there. Recommended.
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Michael_Elliott16 February 20189/11 (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. -
leftbanker-19 December 2017I'm guessing that at some point in the production process of this film someone considered making it a musical, thus touching every base in awfulness. It has Whoopi Goldberg in it so I'm almost sure they at least brought up the idea of a few musical numbers.
This movie will make you wish that they had made another parallel film called 9/10 (the day before) in which all of the people simply rode in the elevator and went home, sparing us this 90 minute steaming load. It's just about what you would expect in awfulness and starring Whoopi Goldberg and Charlie Sheen.
Many will claim that it is "Too Soon", too soon to have a movie about 9/11 with Whoopi Goldberg, but I beg to differ. Is there ever a right time to have a movie with Whoopi Goldberg? I mentioned that Whoopi Goldberg is in it, right? This was adapted from a community theater play. This film will make you want to run out of the cinema and race towards the nearest community theater in the hope of erasing this memory.
At the end there is a line that says the film is dedicated to the blah, blah, blah. You know the rest. Is there anything more completely devoid of meaning and worth than this sort of dedication? What exactly does that mean? The film is dedicated how, exactly? Financially? Doubtful. The only thing that may be even more useless is a moment of prayer. -
dave-mcclain11 September 2017There have been over 50 feature films made about the September 11th terrorist attacks on the U.S. – dramas and documentaries – about the attacks themselves and about their effects on the U.S. and on individuals. 2017 brings us the action drama "9/11" (R, 1:30), but that's not the first film to use that title. 2002's "9/11" is a television documentary from Bronx-born filmmaker James Hanlon and French documentarians Gédéon and Jules Naudet who were in New York filming a documentary about a rookie firefighter, but whose planned film was hijacked by real-life events, giving us rare footage from the epicenter of the attacks. In 2006, "World Trade Center" put Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena in that same spot, portraying real-life NYC Port Authority police officers trapped in the collapse of the Twin Towers.
Movies telling fictional stories of how the tragedy of September 11, 2001 affected ordinary people include "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (a 2011 Best Picture Oscar nominee starring Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Max von Sydow and featuring child actor Thomas Horn) and "Reign Over Me" (a 2007 drama starring Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle). Then there are movies like "Zero Dark Thirty" (a 2012 Best Picture nominee with an all-star cast led by Oscar-nominated Jessica Chastain and directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow) which represent the wider effects of the attacks. For my money, the best 9/11 film to date is 2006's "United 93" (as opposed to the TV movie "Flight 93" – same subject, same year), which earned Oscar nominations for its editing and for the directing of "Bourne" series helmer Paul Greengrass. All of these films are good and some are great. So, how does this "9/11" stack up?
2017's "9/11", based on the award-winning play "Elevator" by Patrick James Carson, tells the fictional story of five strangers stuck between floors in the North Tower of the World Trade Center after American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into it. Jeffrey Cage (Charlie Sheen) is a billionaire businessman who is being divorced by his wife, Eve (Gina Gershon). Jeffrey and Eve have a young son together, but Eve's one big complaint against Jeffrey is that he doesn't pay enough attention to her or their son and she's had enough. Tina (Olga Fonda) has also had enough of her guy. She's dating a rich older man and she appreciates the perks that come with that relationship, but she hates being controlled by him and she's heading up to his office to tell him that she's leaving him. Michael (Wood Harris) is a Manhattan bicycle messenger who has a chip on his shoulder, but he also has a loving wife and young daughter who is having a birthday today. Last, but certainly not least, is Eddie (Luis Guzmán), a WTC maintenance man who is on that elevator as part of a work call. Fortunately, Eddie is friendly with Metzie (Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg), who works the day shift in the elevator control room in the WTC's North Tower.
Like many others in the towers, the attack causes confusion and fear in the five people in that elevator, but their isolation just exacerbates those feelings. They realize that the explosion they heard, the elevator's sudden stop and their lack of cell phone service are probably connected and they begin talking about the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center and the airplane that flew into the Empire State Building in 1945, increasingly convinced that this is something like one of those incidents (or both). After repeated failed attempts to raise Metzie on the elevator's intercom, Eddie finally gets a hold of her and she reluctantly confirms their fears, based on news reports that she is watching from the basement of the North Tower. With a combination of information provided by Metzie, the limited resources they have at their disposal inside that elevator and their teamwork, those five trapped individuals try everything they can think of to free themselves, in between bonding and sharing personal details of their lives and trying to keep each other's growing fears from turning into panic. We also witness one desperate phone call that eventually successfully connects from inside the elevator and the valiant efforts by NYC fire fighters to save as many lives as possible even as the building starts coming apart.
"9/11" is a pretty good dramatization of the experience of being inside the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, but is far from perfect. Most film critics (and many Movie Fans) have accused this movie of being cheesy, unrealistic, overly melodramatic and even offensive, but those criticisms are unduly harsh. The dialog in the script (by James Carson, Steven James Golebiowski and Martin Guigui, who also directs) is simplistic, Guigui's direction is too tame (and his film's budget too small), while the acting lacks depth but to simply focus on those things is to miss the big picture. This movie approaches the experience of being in those towers that day from a fresh perspective and showcases the humanity of that day's victims and survivors, alongside the heroism of the WTC's workers and the New York area's first responders. People who are overly critical of how believably such people are portrayed weren't in the Twin Towers on that horrible day and those who think such portrayals are manipulative or unnecessary have kept themselves from appreciating this interesting and sympathetic motion picture. "B" -
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.
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ramair35026 August 2021Like anyone else who is old enough to really remember 9/11 like it was yesterday, I am always interested in the different forms of storytelling and narrative that capture this horrendous but incredibly important event in our history. This movie popped up on my recommendations, and despite the horrible reviews, I decided to give it a shot.
And I'm so glad I did. This movie is not perfect and certainly does not have the budget of other films about the topic, but it is an interesting concept and one that is well executed overall. And no spoilers, but after the movie if you do a little research you will find that while the movie is based on a play, there was a real-life event on 9/11 that is incredibly similar to this story (enough that I would not have minded if this was labeled "based on a true story").
If you are looking for a broader view of 9/11 and want to see more carnage and "action", there are plenty of documentaries out there. This film is adapted from a play, and that is effectively what you get on screen. For me, it was absolutely worth the viewing. Never forget. -
artdoag2-180-15907810 September 2017I saw 9/11 the other day in a theater filled with two other people. Honestly, the movie has some stumbles in terms of pacing, dialogue, and logic: - Whoopie Goldberg's character works in a elevator control room in one of the towers. She stays behind (possibly disregarding orders to evacuate; this isn't made clear) to assist the trapped party in the elevator via intercom. When the first tower collapses, she explains to Jeffrey Cage (Sheen's character) that "one of the towers has just collapsed." Why would she mention "one of the towers" when she was IN one of them? -The high point of the trailer was the "elevator plummeting" sequence. They're in free-fall, terrifying slow-mo, and the elevator crashes to a halt... but it doesn't pay off. The next scene, they're basically uninjured, fully mobile.
But 9/11 does some other aspects well. The dialogue (keen 90s action-movie fans will notice Charlie Sheen deliver a recycled Bill-Paxton joke from 'Predator 2') is realistic enough for strangers finding themselves in a perilous situation. Personal prejudices bubble to the surface. Desperate times create desperate solutions, and challenges are risen to.
'9/11' knows its production values are limited, but manages to show a claustrophobic, small-scale depiction of Sept. 11th in a respectful manner. It doesn't wander too far into ultra-sappy melodrama territory (what 9/11 film doesn't?), and thankfully not all into ultra-patriotic or conspiracy theory territory. The characters' performances deliver for the most part. '9/11' might find some legs on downloads and rentals. 6 of 10. -
Prismark1014 December 20179/11 is based on Patrick James Carson's play Elevator. It is a low budget film about five people trapped in an elevator in the north tower of the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.
I still remember a work colleague in Britain telling me what happened during that day. The way he described it I was not sure whether he was joking or not or whether the whole thing was just incredulous. I tried to go on the BBC news website and it took ages for it to download the headline page because of the volume of the net traffic.
Charlie Sheen and Gina Gershon are a couple on the verge of divorce. He is a billionaire, the lift they use suddenly stops. Luis Guzman plays a worker in the lift who contacts Whoopie Goldberg who works in the maintenance room.
The five people in the elevator are initially unaware as to what has happened but slowly they become aware especially via Goldberg what is happening all around them and they need to get out of the elevator quickly.
The film does look a bit cheap and quickly shot but the actors give passionate and earnest performances, especially as it dawns on them as to the peril they are in and something very serious has taken place.
Even the audience would fear the worse for these five people and that they make not make it out alive.
The film does draw you in and rather captivates you as it goes along even though at times you also feel the film is manipulative. I can understand why the movie was accused of bad taste because of its release date near the date of the disaster. -
Well, one thing does linger in the mind after having seen this 2017 movie titled "9/11", and that is if this movie was necessary? I mean, did we really need another movie based on those tragic events?
And of course the answer to that is individual. Some will say yes, some will say no, and some will be indifferent. I sat down to watch the movie in terms of it being a movie meant for entertainment purposes. So on that account, then I must say that I didn't really feel that "9/11" was a movie that was necessary. But hey, it was here and available, so of course I sat down to watch it.
Writers Martin Guigui and Steven James Golebiowski came up with a semi-adequate storyline and script. Sure, the movie was watchable, but it wasn't exactly an overly thrilling or all that interesting storyline. And it was a fairly predictable one at that, just to add insult to injury.
While the movie does have some pretty interesting names on the cast list, with the likes of Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Luis Guzmán and Bruce Davison, it just wasn't a movie that boasted particularly over-the-top impressive acting performances. It felt like people were running on auto-pilot here for the most of the time.
"9/11" is a movie that I will not be returning to watch a second time. First of all, the storyline just doesn't have the contents to support more than a single viewing. But the movie also just feels wholly and very unnecessary. I suppose having a mental picture of the horrors that took place on that day is better than something like this 2017 movie titled "9/11".
If you watch "9/11" because you are interesting in the historical aspects of that horrible tragedy, then believe me when I say that "9/11" is not going to be parting with any such historical facts on the screen.
"9/11" - if you take out the fact that it is based on a real life tragedy - is essentially just another run-of-the-mill people get stuck inside an elevator during some type of catastrophe movie. Sad to say so, but that is the truth.
Sure, I can respect and honor the dedication to the first responders and the victims of the tragedy, but this movie just didn't do much of anything aside from cashing in on a tragedy in order to make a buck.
All in all, "9/11" is a watchable movie, but one that failed to leave a lasting impression. And I doubt that I will be remembering this movie a year down the line from now. My rating of director Martin Guigui's 2017 movie lands on a very mediocre five out of ten stars. -
nogodnomasters12 January 2018This is a fictional account of 5 people stuck in an elevator during the 9/11 attack. We are given quick character build-up on all five plus the operator. Charlie Sheen could have played himself. The film used stock footage of the attack and inserted an anachronistic speech by President Bush. The characters were not that note worthy. There are far better films of people stuck in an elevator. The dialogue wasn't great.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity. -
bonheura10 July 2018I tried. I'd never heard of this movie before it aired on my local TV and my first thoughts were: -Oh, another 9/11 movie (not that there has been that many so far) -Starring Charlie Sheen? Ok why not, he used to be known for being a fine actor after all -Starring Whoopie Goldberg, mmhh ok -Starring Gina Gershon? Now that's interesting -Oh and there's this actor you see everywhere since always! Luis Guzman! -Wait, what? People trapped in an elevator after the attack? That rings a bell but you say this is a fiction? WTH? So I thought, ok, maybe a straight to video movie, let's give it a try anyway. Well, I tried to watch it without any prejudice, I didn't go to Rottentomatoes (I never do), I didn't watch the users' reviews. And the result is so poor IMHO that I can't believe they even bothered to release it on big screens. The clichés are so expectable you can only laugh. The couple soon to be divorced making up in the end? Check. The crying mom saying I love you to her son? Check. The hero trapped at the last minutes just when you think that everybody will escape? Check. Etc. This is badly written, badly directed, and worse of all, badly acted, and it makes me cringe to write this about all these people involved. No chemistry, anywhere. It just didn't work. It should have, it could have, it didn't.
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prestonmick-975-59774825 September 2022Some of the negative reviews on here are way over the top.
What's enjoyable about this is the fact they're all stuck in a lift and we all know what happens. But you totally empathise with their fear and sense of panic as they get drip-fed information.
I watched this for free on Rakuten TV and I'm glad after reading all the shockingly bad reviews (altho a couple did make me chuckle) that I still went through with it because of one person's very good review. And I fully agree. Just see for yourself, it's not overly long and the action gets going pretty quickly. Don't forget, its a movie based on a theatre play and it has that feel about it. Well worth a watch and a very solid 7/10. -
andreasa-5049721 July 2019The last thing I'd expected to call this movie was 'boring'. Yet here we are. The movie is one half Whoopi Goldberg mumbling into a phone and one half Charlie Sheen hosting a directionless podcast in an elevator while 9/11 news footage plays now and then.
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jaxconrad14 August 2021So I watched this today and while it's no masterpiece it wasn't a bad movie as worthy of some of the very low scores. I tried watching Oliver Stone's World Trade Center before this and gave up half way through as it was so dull. This at least had me invest in the characters a little, even if the acting was a little hammy at time.
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Albino_Hyena13 August 2019There is no good place to start, as every aspect of filmmaking here was done wrong, so I'll name a few random points to paint you a picture: 1) There's a shot of Whoopi Goldberg walking down the street that looks like a shot from Birdemic. 2) Charlie Sheen's response to the courier randomly blurting out that Filipinos are the worst drivers because they're Asian is "Well that makes sense; the Phillipines are considered to be in Asia, so....*mumbles*". 3) Every shot of the towers is stock news footage. 4) Every 10 minutes the wife character has an emotional outburst in what is supposed to be a dramatic scene, but they cast a woman with a botox-frozen face to play her.
The acting is on the same level as Two and a Half Men, but whereas that is a sitcom that people watch for quick, cheap laughs, this movie is trying to be a serious drama. It switches from cringeworthy acting and dialog (that honestly made me laugh), to scenes of people crying while watching the towers collapsing. Instead of writing characters that we could care about, which would have led to some emotional weight, this movie tries to cheat its way to emotional weight by showing you stock news footage and some pretend firefighters running around, as if to say "Hey, remember THAT day? Sad, right? Remember how freaked out everyone was?". -
tjpierce-4567511 September 2017Let's face it--if you're a nobody typist at, say, Rottentomatoes, looking to make your bones by trashing an easy target, Charlie Sheen is about as good as it gets. And if Charlie's little drama is framed by the momentous events of 9-11, you have the irresistible opportunity to climb way up on your high horse and damn it as cheesy, awful, and exploitative.
9-11, the tense drama of five people trapped in a north tower elevator of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, is none of those things. It is suspenseful, well-written, moving, and the acting is solid. I mean, why wouldn't you tell the story of people trapped in those elevators, or a hundred other stories that happened in those towers on that day? People DIED in those elevators, and they have stories to tell.
There have been at least 182 films of every conceivable genre with World War 2 as the background--drama, suspense, thriller, action, comedy, super-hero, mystery, supernatural, ZOMBIE--yet, I cannot recall a single review that accused any of them of exploiting those 80 million deaths to lend their movie some gravitas.
The cast rocks. Charlie Sheen, Gina Gershon (who should have an Oscar nomination coming--she really brings it), Wood Harris, Luis Guzman, Whoopie Goldberg, Olga Fonda, they're all terrific. This was shot on a shoestring budget, so these performances were shot quickly, perhaps after a period of rehearsal, and yet they don't miss a moment. If I have a beef, it's with the sound. The hard surfaces inside an elevator set create a lot of reverb, and sound could use some additional filtering before the digital media release.
All the positives aside, douche nozzles such as the bunch at Rottentomatoes have reputations to make; moreover, judging from the paltry number of reviews, the producers probably couldn't afford a nice cruise junket. So here we are with a solid little film that scores only 14 percent at RT, whilst 86 percent of Google viewers liked it. That ought to tell you something.
Whatever. It'll be gone from the big screens faster than you can sneeze, but they're going to love it on Netflix. -
jd-creativeguy10 December 2017I'm not sure what all the negative reviews are about, other than some people expect Oscar-worthy performances, stunning visuals and special effects, and obscenely creative story writing. This film has none of those, but that doesn't mean it's bad.
This was an entertaining film with pretty good acting. The story can't really be that creative, because the entire world knows how this story ends... it's kind of like watching a documentary that has a little bit of "creative license" thrown in to make it watchable—though this film is not a documentary. -
bulldogveritas6 January 2018It is insulting that this movie was made. Charlie Sheen is a 9/11 'truther'.
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9/11 is a poignant and heartfelt film that pays tribute to the courage and resilience displayed during one of the darkest moments in American history. Directed by Martin Guigui, this powerful drama delicately explores the human stories behind the tragic events of September 11, 2001, without exploiting the immense pain and loss suffered by countless individuals.
The film centers around a group of strangers who find themselves trapped together in an elevator within the World Trade Center's North Tower on that fateful day. As they grapple with their fears and confront the harsh reality unfolding around them, their individual backgrounds, beliefs, and personal struggles are revealed. Through their interactions and shared experiences, the film beautifully captures the strength of the human spirit and the capacity for compassion and unity in the face of adversity.
The performances in 9/11 are exceptional, with a talented ensemble cast that includes Charlie Sheen, Gina Gershon, and Luis Guzmán. Each actor brings depth and authenticity to their respective roles, portraying characters who are flawed, vulnerable, and ultimately relatable. Their performances serve as a reminder of the countless real-life heroes who emerged from the tragedy, displaying extraordinary acts of bravery and selflessness.
Director Martin Guigui demonstrates great sensitivity in his approach to the subject matter. With a restrained and respectful tone, he allows the emotional weight of the story to unfold organically, capturing both the horror of the events and the triumph of the human spirit. The film avoids sensationalism and instead focuses on the universal themes of love, loss, and the indomitable strength that can emerge from even the most devastating circumstances.
While 9/11 may not offer groundbreaking storytelling, its true power lies in its ability to honor the memory of those who lost their lives and to recognize the heroism displayed by ordinary people during a time of immense tragedy. It serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of unity, compassion, and resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges.
In conclusion, 9/11 is a deeply moving and respectful tribute to the victims and survivors of the September 11 attacks. With its heartfelt performances, restrained direction, and powerful storytelling, it serves as a testament to the enduring human spirit and the capacity for hope even in the darkest of times.