This movie was made in Baltimore and my husband was a Baltimore City firefighter for 32 years. He was still active duty when then movie was made and it still chokes me up at the end. I think Ladder 49 is one of the more realistic firefighting movies out there and worth watching.
Scorching thrill-a-minute-action. A riveting and powerfully moving movie. Stunning, magnificent and breathtaking. An excellent film that sets the screen on fire with drama and emotion. Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta give teriffic performances. It will have you on the edge of your seat. It will blow you away. Szzeling and unforgettable. Makes Backdraft look like puppy chow.
Under the watchful eye of his mentor Captain Mike Kennedy (Travolta), probationary firefighter Jack Morrison (Phoenix) matures into a seasoned veteran at a Baltimore fire station. Jack has reached a crossroads, however, as the sacrifices
Wonderful! Its so sad and touching and all around amazing. This movie made me laugh, smile, and cry. Joaquin is great as always and this film is a must see.
In a story about firefighters, you can expect a lot of drama. Well, this movie doesn't disappoint. I still cried though (yeah, yeah, sappy me ;p) because I can't believe that in the end... (SPOILER WARNING) he didn't make it. Although I kind of expected it, I can't help but root for the guy and his wife and kids.
Aside from the emotional angle, the effects were great. Dealing with fire is hard (no contest there) but the film makers were able to make it very realistic and in nature's way, terrifying.
I can kind of relate to their job of saving lives what with being a nurse...but the occupational hazards are different.
Saving people, helping people, the movie made me remember why I wanted to be a nurse even with the stress and poor pay (if there is pay).
So all in all, an inspirational movie. :p Kudos to the firefighters, everyday heroes.
really really powerful film, never felt such a strong emotional connection to a character. The ending is truly gripping and so so sad. The portrayal of his life is so detailed even though it is only shown in a serious of flashbacks, the bond with his family feels like your own, all of which making the ending so powerful. This is a true honour to all firefighters and the thinks they have to go thorugh everyday, i strongly reccommend this film to all. Joaquin Phoenix is brilliant.
Ladder 49 is a tragically heart-warming story about a firefighter who gets trapped in a horrible fire. The movie is told through flashbacks which serves to introduce us to our protagonist: Jack Morrison (played by Joaquin Phoenix). The direction is effective, and it serves to tug on our emotions.
Joaquin continues to impress me, but everyone else comes up flat. None of the roles were convincing except Joaquin's. It was almost like they were just reciting the script with no emotions.
I feel that the rating for this film is inflated by so many because the ending is extremely powerful. It's a memorable climax that will more than likely bring tears to your eyes if you allow yourself to get enveloped into this endearing film. HOWEVER, I can't help but to feel this is playing off the emotions of people from the aftermath of September 11th. After 9/11 firefighters became an icon of heroism, and the makers of this movie cashed in on this theory.
All in all, this is a pretty good film. If you have family members who are firefighters, then this film will hit home for you. It's a wonderful tribute to firemen... but I personally felt a lot of the scenes were fairly generic. It's a poorly acted tearjerker that I wouldn't watch again.
MCT:June 17, 2008
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