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| Ladder 49 |
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  (9/10)
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Runtime: 105 |
| Public Rating: 8.23 (100 votes) |
Director: Jay Russell |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Action/Drama |
Year: 2004 |
| Writer(s): Lewis Colick |
| Distributor: Touchstone Pictures |
| Reviewed by: Nate Anderson |
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Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Jacinda Barrett, Robert Patrick, Morris Chestnut, Billy Burke, Balthazar Getty
"Why is it always the 12th floor? Why can't someone ever be stuck on the 4th floor?"
There have only been a handful of good movies about firefighters. Besides Ladder 49, there is Backdraft and The Towering Inferno. This one is easily the best of the bunch. It pays real tribute to firemen, while still being entertaining and surprisingly touching too. Whereas Backdraft played more like a cop movie with Firefighters, and The Towering Inferno was a straight up epic disaster movie, Ladder 49 is all about the men themselves, their lives, and the dangers they face in their job.
Joaquin Phoenix plays Jack Morrison, a firefighter who winds up trapped in a burning warehouse. While he's awaiting rescue, he reflects on his time with the department, beginning with when he was a probationarty officer up to the present. John Travolta plays Mike Kennedy, the chief of the fire house where he's stationed, and who commands the rescue operation.
The bulk of the film is played in flashbacks, which works rather well. Jack reflects on his first days, his first fire, meeting his future wife Linda (Jacinda Barrett), and the births of his children. As we move along and we get to know the men, we grow more concerned as we see the fire get worse and the situation grow more dire.
The film is well directed, with great performances and great scenes that really seemed to ring true. Not knowing much about firefighting, I can't really comment on its accuracy, but there wasn't anything that really seemed to be wrong to me. The movie really seemed to avoid any real big, showy action sequences. Instead, the film keeps a strong sense of reality to it.
Overall, Ladder 49 is an incredible film, with great performances and excellent direction. They made the right choice in focusing on the characters instead of the action, and the movie is better for it. Highly Recommended.
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