The connotation of heroism is inescapable when discussing professional firefighters, especially in the wake of 9/11. Let's face it, the person running into the burning building when everyone else is desperately trying to get out is going to be a hero in the eyes of many, and in "Ladder 49," directed by Jay Russell and starring Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta, it is the hero and that sense of heroism that is presented and explored.
The film follows the career of fireman Jack Morrison (Phoenix) from his rookie days through the following years as he establishes himself as a veteran of the firehouse, all under the tutelage of Captain Mike Kennedy (Travolta), who is always on hand to listen, question and impart the wisdom of age and experience to Jack, especially at pivotal times in his life.
Over a period of time, Jack learns the ropes, develops his firefighting skills, matures and, along the way, learns about life and love. When he meets an attractive young woman in a grocery store, Linda (Jacinda Barrett), and sparks fly, it isn't hard to figure out where this part of the story is going.
Visually, the film is stunning at times: The fires are spectacular, you can fairly feel the heat from the flames, which is bound to instill in one admiration for the firefighters who risk it all in the performance of their duties. It gives a perspective, as well, to the way living with danger binds them together in a special way. On the other hand, the way in which Russell presents this bonding also gives the impression that these are people who somehow live apart from the commoners, that the air they breathe is perhaps a bit more rarefied than what is available to the rest of us.
The flaw of what is essentially a decent film can be placed directly in the lap of the director, who makes the mistake of putting his heroes on a pedestal right out of the gate, for no other reason than the fact that they are firemen, and in doing so he allows what could have been a riveting drama to lapse into unnecessary melodrama, which very nearly sinks the ship early on. He makes the camaraderie of the firehouse, for instance, an exercise in cliché, while allowing his actors to struggle with the development of their characters.
Phoenix gives a passable performance as Jack, but Travolta comes across as an actor playing a role the way he "thinks" it should be played, rather than creating a real identity for Mike, and Russell lets him get away with it. In a similar role, in 1974's "The Towering Inferno," Steve McQueen put real life into Chief Michael O'Hallorhan by creating his character from the inside out, using an introspective approach to establish O'Hallorhan the man first, then O'Hallorhan the hero secondarily, and it worked. What is unfortunate here, especially, is the fact that Travolta is a much better actor than what Russell allowed him to be.
The supporting cast includes Robert Patrick (Lenny); Morris Chestnut (Tommy); Billy Burke (Dennis); Balthazar Getty (Ray); Desiree Care (Maria); and Deidra LaWan Starnes (Marlene). Firefighters and their families are no doubt going to find themselves on an emotional roller coaster with this film, and given what they live with on a daily basis, that is entirely understandable. For everyone else, however, "Ladder 49" will be somewhat entertaining, even emotionally engaging at times, but not entirely memorable.
The film follows the career of fireman Jack Morrison (Phoenix) from his rookie days through the following years as he establishes himself as a veteran of the firehouse, all under the tutelage of Captain Mike Kennedy (Travolta), who is always on hand to listen, question and impart the wisdom of age and experience to Jack, especially at pivotal times in his life.
Over a period of time, Jack learns the ropes, develops his firefighting skills, matures and, along the way, learns about life and love. When he meets an attractive young woman in a grocery store, Linda (Jacinda Barrett), and sparks fly, it isn't hard to figure out where this part of the story is going.
Visually, the film is stunning at times: The fires are spectacular, you can fairly feel the heat from the flames, which is bound to instill in one admiration for the firefighters who risk it all in the performance of their duties. It gives a perspective, as well, to the way living with danger binds them together in a special way. On the other hand, the way in which Russell presents this bonding also gives the impression that these are people who somehow live apart from the commoners, that the air they breathe is perhaps a bit more rarefied than what is available to the rest of us.
The flaw of what is essentially a decent film can be placed directly in the lap of the director, who makes the mistake of putting his heroes on a pedestal right out of the gate, for no other reason than the fact that they are firemen, and in doing so he allows what could have been a riveting drama to lapse into unnecessary melodrama, which very nearly sinks the ship early on. He makes the camaraderie of the firehouse, for instance, an exercise in cliché, while allowing his actors to struggle with the development of their characters.
Phoenix gives a passable performance as Jack, but Travolta comes across as an actor playing a role the way he "thinks" it should be played, rather than creating a real identity for Mike, and Russell lets him get away with it. In a similar role, in 1974's "The Towering Inferno," Steve McQueen put real life into Chief Michael O'Hallorhan by creating his character from the inside out, using an introspective approach to establish O'Hallorhan the man first, then O'Hallorhan the hero secondarily, and it worked. What is unfortunate here, especially, is the fact that Travolta is a much better actor than what Russell allowed him to be.
The supporting cast includes Robert Patrick (Lenny); Morris Chestnut (Tommy); Billy Burke (Dennis); Balthazar Getty (Ray); Desiree Care (Maria); and Deidra LaWan Starnes (Marlene). Firefighters and their families are no doubt going to find themselves on an emotional roller coaster with this film, and given what they live with on a daily basis, that is entirely understandable. For everyone else, however, "Ladder 49" will be somewhat entertaining, even emotionally engaging at times, but not entirely memorable.