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9/11 (2017 film)

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9/11
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMartin Guigui
Screenplay by
  • Martin Guigui
  • Steven Golebiowski
Produced by
  • Dahlia Waingort
  • Warren Ostergard
  • Martin Sprock
  • Rodric David
Starring
CinematographyMassimo Zeri
Edited byEric Potter
Music byJeff Toyne
Production
companies
  • Sprockefeller Pictures
  • Sunset Pictures
  • Black Bear Studios
  • Thunder Studios
  • The Film House
  • Vitamin A Films
Distributed byAtlas Distribution Company
Release date
  • September 8, 2017 (2017-09-08)
Running time
90 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$192,318[2]

9/11 is a 2017 American action drama film[3] directed by Martin Guigui and written by Guigui and Steven Golebiowski. It is based on the stage play Elevator by Patrick James Carson, which takes place during the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City. The film stars Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Gina Gershon, Luis Guzmán and Jacqueline Bisset, and was released in the United States on September 8, 2017.

Plot

Jeffrey Cage is working in the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001. He arrives at the North Tower with his wife Eve to sign divorce papers and are in the elevator when American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the building, stopping the elevator. Also in the elevator is Eddie, a maintenance man; Tina, a woman who has come to the WTC to break up with her wealthy lover; and Michael, a delivery man. They try to open the elevator doors to escape but are unable to do so.

Metzie is a dispatcher who communicates with the people stuck inside the elevator. She tells them that they only have one choice; to break the elevator door open and send the maintenance man to the power room to rewire the elevator back. The group inside the elevator begin to come up with plans to pry the door open. At first, they use their hands but it is stuck too tightly, then they try to open the emergency shaft above but it can only be opened from the outside.

Metzie tells the group that the firefighters cannot make it to the top floor and they must unbolt the locking mechanism to open the doors. Finally, they pry open the elevator, unlock the locking mechanism and breakthrough a block of drywall into a janitor's room; only Eve gets out before the elevator's breaking cables make it impossible for the others to escape. Jeffrey tells Eve that he loves her and promises to meet in the lobby before everyone in the elevator lie on their backs and brace for impact as the elevator begins falling. The elevator speeds down to the lobby level, but everyone survives. Eve finds a firefighter to help her open the elevator door and everyone gets out except Jeffrey, who is trapped in the elevator as it falls lower. The firefighter goes on top of the elevator, opens the emergency shaft, and reaches out to Jeffrey. Tragically Jeffrey and the firefighter are killed when the tower collapses.

Cast

Production

Filming took place in mid-2016 in Long Beach, California studios.[4]

Release

The first trailer was released on July 21, 2017, receiving backlash. Zack Sharf of IndieWire described the film as appearing to be "one of the most offensive films ever made" in part due to "the collapse of the Twin Towers [being] used as a ticking-time clock."[5] The New York Daily News also noted that the trailer had been "panned on social media as 'offensive'."[6]

The film was released on September 8, 2017, almost 16 years after the attacks took place.

Response

Critical response

The film was panned by critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 11% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 2.6/10.[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 20 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[8]

Kimber Meyers of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a negative review, saying "9/11 trades on the emotional weight of its namesake day, manipulating audiences into feelings that have nothing to do with the mess that is actually on screen."[9] In an equally unfavorable review, Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter noted that 9/11 "proves so exploitative that its end credits' dedication to the victims and first responders feels tawdry".[10] Jezebel reviewer Rich Juzwiak wrote that although the film fades out with the words "Never Forget" written on the screen, "I won't, 9/11, but you've done your damnedest to make me want to."[11]

Alonso Duralde of TheWrap praised the performances of Gina Gershon and Jacqueline Bisset and wrote: "Sixteen years later, 9/11 remains too touchy a subject for a movie as clumsy as 9/11 to get entirely right. And even if the film relies too much on the real-life horror of the actual event to loan it some gravitas, the performances touch the emotions honestly and deservedly."[12]

Sheen's history with the 9/11 Truth movement

In 2006, Sheen called in to the far-right conspiracy theorist radio program The Alex Jones Show to voice his support to the then-growing 9/11 Truth movement. Sheen suggested that the Twin Towers had been destroyed due to a controlled demolition, which was then followed by a cover-up by the US government.[13] He went on to state: "It seems to me like 19 amateurs with box cutters taking over four commercial airlines and hitting 75% of their targets -- that feels like a conspiracy theory."[14][15] In 2006, Sheen spoke at a 9/11 truther convention in Los Angeles with Alex Jones, and later reaffirmed his beliefs about the conspiracy on Jimmy Kimmel Live![14]

When Sheen was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter in September 2017, he reaffirmed his belief in the 9/11 truther movement, remarking, "I was not just coming up with stuff about 9/11. I was parroting those a lot smarter and a lot more experienced than myself, who had very similar questions. Not to put this behind us because, as brilliantly written, we must 'never forget,' but there are still a couple of things just rooted in simple physics that beg some measure of inquiry."[13]

Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson, whose firefighter father died in the 9/11 attacks, condemned the film in an Instagram post, citing Sheen's history with the Truther movement.[16] Others characterized director Martin Guigui's decision to cast a vocal 9/11 Truther in a film about the attacks as hypocritical.[13][17][18][19][20][21][22] Co-star Gina Gershon claimed to not have known about Sheen's earlier conspiracy-related statements until after filming on 9/11 had wrapped; she remarked that she would have spoken to Sheen about those comments before committing to the project.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "9/11 (2017)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "9/11 (2017)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  3. ^ "9/11 (2017) - Martin Guigui". AllMovie.
  4. ^ "Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg in '9/11' Drama; Nicholas Hoult Is Young Salinger – Specialty B.O. Preview". Deadline Hollywood. September 8, 2017.
  5. ^ Sharf, Zack (July 21, 2017). "Charlie Sheen's '9/11' Thriller Looks Like One of the Most Offensive Films Ever Made — Watch". Indiewire.
  6. ^ a b "Charlie Sheen's truther comments, weight of NYC's saddest day complicate '9/11' movie release". New York Daily News.
  7. ^ "9/11 (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  8. ^ "9/11 reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  9. ^ Kimber Myers (September 8, 2017). "Review Charlie Sheen thriller '9/11' exploits its namesake tragedy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  10. ^ "'9/11': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  11. ^ "Do Forget: 9/11". Jezebel.
  12. ^ "'9/11' Review: Charlie Sheen Drama Avoids Exploitation If Not Familiarity". TheWrap. September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c "'9/11' Director Defends Casting Charlie Sheen in Twin Towers Drama". The Hollywood Reporter.
  14. ^ a b "Watch Charlie Sheen Star in Melodramatic '9/11' Trailer". Rolling Stone Magazine.
  15. ^ "Charlie Sheen's 9/11 drama set for September release". LA Times.
  16. ^ "Why 'SNL' Star Pete Davidson Is Pissed at Charlie Sheen's New '9/11' Movie (Video)."
  17. ^ "Charlie Sheen to star in 'beyond offensive' 9/11 film". thenewdaily.com.au. 24 July 2017.
  18. ^ "Why 'SNL' Star Pete Davidson Is Pissed at Charlie Sheen's New '9/11' Movie (Video)". toofab.
  19. ^ "Trailer for Charlie Sheen's 9/11 film provokes backlash". RTE. 25 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Charlie Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg's 9/11 movie has been condemned". NME. 25 July 2017.
  21. ^ Bloodworth, Adam (26 July 2017). "Charlie Sheen and Whoopi Golderg's 9/11 movie has been called 'awful'". Metro UK.
  22. ^ "9/11 truther Charlie Sheen is starring in a movie about 9/11". theoutline.com.
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