Ten

Until I was 22, I was a New Yorker. The plan was that after I graduated from college, I would move back to New York, and get a job and an apartment in the city. But things don't always go as planned. In February 1997, I made the decision to leave New York and move to Boston. And it's at least partly due to that decision that I consider myself one of the lucky ones. As we observe the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I can look back on that day and know I was nowhere near the World Trade Center. Instead, I was in Boston, on my second day at a brand-new job, being told about the benefits package, when the first tower was hit.

Of course, this all is not to say that I wasn't affected by the attack or the events of 9/11. It's just that I know that I didn't lose any friends or family members that day, and however my life was changed, it's nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands of people who were there, or who lost someone close to them, and who have never been the same since. Today, more than most days, those people are on my mind and in my heart. I may never have met those we lost, but through the moving tributes I've heard and read, it's hard not to feel a real sense of loss. And I do know many people who were in the World Trade Center area, were close, or who lost someone on September 11, 2001. So my heart goes out to them, because I'm sure today won't be an easy day.

Ten years later, the world is a very different place. If you can read this, then consider yourself one of the lucky ones too. We must all band together to celebrate life and never forget.

High Wire

On the morning of August 7, 1974, while many New Yorkers were hurrying to work, a lithe Frenchman named Philippe Petit was more than 100 stories above them, walking from the top of one of the Twin Towers to the other and back again. The story of this amazing and unlikely feat is told in the fantastic new documentary Man on Wire. Why did Petit do it? Well, it's almost the same answer as the one given by George Leigh Mallory when he was asked why he was attempting to climb Mount Everest: "Because it's there." Petit, too, is driven by simple motivation. He's a performer, and he thinks that to walk on a tightrope between the buildings would be an act of incredible beauty.

Told through archival footage, photography, recreations of the events, and present-day interviews with Petit and his co-conspirators, Man on Wire is, appropriately, beautifully made. Petit, who clearly lived to tell the tale, is a completely engaging interviewee, filling his story with drama and hyperbole, and making us believe that such an impossible stunt is not even much of a challenge for him. His team — a mix of French, Australian, and American participants — are equally swept up in Petit's passion, and look like they'd do it all again if they could. The film, which takes its name from the police report documenting Petit's "crime," doesn't fully explain the why or the how, or even go into why Petit is so fascinated with scaling such great heights, but that's alright. It tells a very enjoyable story, and it makes Petit out to be an inspiring presence, an optimist who made one of his greatest dreams come true. I fancy myself a bit of a daredevil, having gone skydiving and taken trapeze lessons, and even though I completely respect Petit for his accomplishment, you'll be happy to know I'm going to keep my feet on the ground. Man on Wire gets an A– from me. It's definitely one of the year's best so far.

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

In the years since 9/11 there have been only a handful of movies dealing directly with the subject. Of those, most have dealt with the heroism and the survivors. And of course, this leaves out a large number of people who also experienced the day, namely the families of those who died. Well, with Mike Binder's Reign Over Me, that void is over, and remarkably so.

Reign tells the story of Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), a successful New York dentist, who by chance runs into his old college roommate, Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler). Fineman's wife and three daughters all died on 9/11 and he has chosen to deal with the loss by not dealing with it at all. Rather, in the five years since that fateful day, he has shut down both emotionally and physically; Charlie's quit his job as a dentist, he ignores that he ever had a family, spends his life alone playing video games and cruising around the city on his motor bike, collects vinyl records, and turns his music up real loud to avoid dealing with difficult situations. It's a lonely, solitary life filled with pain and sadness. But Johnson, who is married with two daughters of his own, admires one thing about Fineman: the fact that he lives a more carefree life now because he doesn't dwell on the negative aspects. So Johnson spends more time with Fineman, and begins to ignore the problems in his own marriage.

The movie brings these two old friends back together again without cliche, and examines the very real pain that Fineman chooses to ignore. And as Fineman, Sandler is actually really good. Sure, he's got a scene or two where his raised voice of anger makes you chuckle, but trust me on this one: in the past Sandler has made you laugh till you cried. Here he'll make you cry real tears of sadness with no laughs. What a surprisingly good performance. When Fineman finally breaks through the wall he's built around himself, it's stunning and not the least bit maudlin.

Still, the film belongs to Cheadle, who gives the less showy performance, but serves as the film's anchor. Cheadle's always good, but this is one of the best performances I've seen him give. I wish the film had come out closer to the end of the year because I'm afraid award voters will forget him nine months from now. It's a fate Joan Allen suffered because The Upside of Anger had a similar release date two years ago.

It's worth noting that the film has a great soundtrack, filled with classic songs by the Pretenders, Bruce Springsteen and, yes, the Who (whose song "Love Reign O'er Me" gives the film its title; it's covered by Pearl Jam over the closing credits). And it's also photographed at low, ground-level angles — no sweeping New York shots — all the better to show the life of this very real and all-too-common person as he struggles to survive in the Big City, where reminders of his family are all around. There's one really cool shot in particular of all the traffic lights on Park Ave. changing color at the same exact time.

If I had to complain about anything, it'd be two things: one, the length. Binder should have trimmed off about 15–20 minutes. It's enough to make me consider lowering my grade. And also, there's an out there, only-in-the-movies subplot about a whack job patient of Johnson's that is distracting and unbelievable. But the truth is, I'm choosing to ignore these things because on the whole, I like the movie that much.

Binder has written an actor's showcase here. In addition to Sandler and Cheadle, supporting actors like Liv Tyler and Jada Pinkett Smith also give very good performances. I can't really say enough how much I liked this film, so I hope y'all will go and see it and tell me you agree. I'm giving Reign Over Me an A–.

Five Years Later

I'll say at the outset of this posting that I don't have anything particularly revelatory or important to share about 9/11. But as today is the fifth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York, I felt a certain obligation to post something on my blog to commemorate the day.

To me, 9/11 will always be associated with my first week at a new job. I had started just the day before, on Monday, September 10, 2001, and all was good. My manager and I discussed how successful the company had been so far that year and how it would affect our year-end bonuses, and I was excited about the change in my career and the challenges that laid ahead. The next day, I was meeting with the operations coordinator about my benefits package when people started to gather in the back conference room of our office, which is where the television was. The towers had been hit and no one was quite sure what was going on. Like those in offices all over the country, we were all glued to the screen and unable to really do much else but watch — and try to find our friends and family. I remember not being able to get through to my sister, who had recently moved to Brooklyn, where she had a great view out her window of South Street Seaport and the Twin Towers. People started to go home, but since it was only my second day on the job, I didn't want to go anywhere. No one could get any work done, though, so I finally left work somewhere around 12 or 1:00, I think.

As I've mentioned a few times on this site, among the things I work on is an inflight magazine, and this was a hell of a first week to start that. The magazine was obviously affected by 9/11, and in the months that followed, the person I replaced apologized multiple times for how difficult things were when I was just learning the ropes.

I'll admit that at the time, I was, I don't know, overwhelmed and in denial, so I didn't quite let the events sink in completely and affect me like they affected so many others. Somehow, I kept it all at a distance. It was almost like I built a wall around myself on a subconscious level, and didn't let it sink in emotionally. Part of the reason this was possible was that I didn't know anyone who died that day, thank God, or who was directly affected — despite the fact that I grew up in New York and knew many people who lived there. I've never had much of an attachment to New York (one reason I now live in Boston), so that must be another reason. Instead, this was just a news event to me, one that happened to and affected other people — as bad, cold, heartless, and insensitive as that may sound. It's not that I didn't sympathize with those who lost someone that day. I just couldn't empathize.

Five years later, I am still at the same job and the magazine is more successful than ever. And while others debate the merits and timeliness of movies like United 93 and World Trade Center, I can say I am affected by the events of 9/11 (and the recreations portrayed in those movies) now more than I was on the day itself. For example, I watched the 9/11 documentary on CBS last night, and I don't remember how I felt watching it the first time it was broadcast in 2002, but last night it was gripping television. The movie made me tear up and pause many times, as I felt like I was back on that day and I was living it again. So I thank these movies for existing and being as good as they are. They are helping me understand and appreciate just how horrific this day was, and letting me experience it on a more personal level than I was able to in 2001.

Like I wrote at the outset, I have nothing terribly brilliant to say about 9/11. But I wanted to write something, even if it added no value to the general communal discussion. No matter when or how the day's events affected us, we all lived through them in our own way. This was my story.

Towering Achievement

Not that we needed reminding, but 9/11 was a really shitty day. In his new film World Trade Center, Oliver Stone revists the chaos, fear, hysteria, heartbreak, sadness, and destruction of that day, but in the process pays effective tribute to those who lived through it.

In the early moments of WTC, Stone shows how 9/11 started out like any other day. People are going to work, streets are filled with commuters, and all is business as usual. But then the shadow of a plane is seen moving across a building, elsewhere there's a strong tremor, and suddenly nothing is the same. We all know what happened next, but Stone dramatizes it, recreating the events with a you-are-there quality, and showing us what it was like to look up in shock and see the towers on fire. We've not wanted to know how it must have felt to be in the World Trade Center when the towers fell, but there we are with John McLaughlin (Nicolas Cage) and his men experiencing it, and feeling scared just waiting for the inevitable doom that awaits.

Without going too much into a wordy review, I'll say that the movie maintains the same perspective throughout. Though they get their due, this is not a movie that celebrates those who rescued McLaughlin and Jimez (Michael Pena). Instead, this is a more personal film about those trapped NYPD officers, and we feel like we're trapped right there with them. Above ground, there's some fantastic acting by Maria Bello as McLaughlin's wife (Maggie Gyllenhaal is also good as Jimenez's wife), and in general, though the film is at times hard to watch and runs over two hours long, it still moves at a good pace.

There were many stories of heroism, courage, and strength that came out of 9/11. WTC tells just one of them. McLaughlin and Jimenez are no more special than many others who lived through the day, but it's that quality that makes this film so good. Stone illustrates how it's not those larger-than-life heroes who deserve all the attention. Appropriately, this is a film for the little guy. It's an excellent tribute. I give it an A.

I Saw United 93

I can't say I was personally affected by the events of 9/11. Thankfully, I knew no one who was on any of the four planes, and even though I am originally from New York and know many people who live there, no one I know died in the attack on the World Trade Center. That said, I was really personally affected by the new movie United 93. And really, it's hard not to be. This is top-notch filmmaking, the kind of you-are-there movie that puts you on the plane, in the air traffic control centers, on the seat of your pants, and makes you feel like you were a part of the events of that day. It all feels authentic, and it takes place in real time in almost documentary fashion, so you feel the dread when simple things happen, like the closing of the plane doors. And there's probably no moment as uneasy as when the plane actually takes off.

This is a movie that seeks to document what was happening on the plane that tragic morning, and without a lot of moralistic or political intervention. As such, the hijackers are not portrayed simply as evil men; they are also scared about what is taking place (but not to the degree that they'd earn sympathy from a viewer). Many of the passengers are never really fleshed out, and it's hard to identify some of the people whose names are more recognizable, like Todd Beamer. These people are just there — like we are — scared and doing the best they can to be strong. When they start picking up the phone to call their loved ones, it made me want to do the same. And when the plane goes down and the screen goes black, it's a terrible moment that feels all-too-real.

There's been all this talk recently about it being too soon for a movie about 9/11. If this one was exploitive or sensationalistic or of a lesser quality, I might agree. But quite frankly, I don't know if there will ever be a good time for 9/11 movies. (I'm sure there are World War II vets who lived through D-Day and object to movies like Saving Private Ryan.) And because United 93 is such a well-made movie, it is that much more intense, emotional, and hard to watch. It's definitely a must-see. I give it an A.

George Clooney Is the Man

I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s a role model or even someone I idolize. He's not even a man-crush. But George Clooney is someone I respect and admire. It all started for me on September 2, 1997, a few days after Princess Diana died. Clooney held a press conference to call the paparazzi to task, saying it was their fault she was dead, that they were reckless, and not just in this case. The way he delivered his remarks that night — in a forceful and passionate manner, his words clearly thought-out — so impressed me that I was instantly made a fan, and I’ve never forgotten that night. From that moment on, George Clooney was my hero.

Over the years, Clooney has continually stepped up to the plate in times like that. He doesn’t exploit his celebrity like some folks do, but rather he uses it to his advantage to, for example, gather friends and colleagues for telethons following 9/11 and the tsunami in southeast Asia. When his motives are contested, by cynics such as Bill O’Reilly, he stands up for himself and his intentions, challenging people like O’Reilly to do the same as he is doing. Clooney is a man of principle and he won’t let anyone question his intentions.

He’s also a loyal, good friend and he just oozes cool. All you have to do is watch a movie like Out of Sight or Ocean’s 11 for proof of this. Clooney makes being him — or acting as a guy very much like him (or so we’re led to believe) — look easy.

Perhaps that’s why anytime there’s a profile written about Clooney in Esquire or GQ or any such men’s magazine, it tends to be about the same basic things: how great a guy he is, how loyal he is to his friends (and vice versa), and how much fun he’s having being George Clooney. And I don’t care that these articles are all basically the same; I read them all. I also see any movie he’s in — even Solaris, a really weird sci-fi romance that I didn’t understand but still somehow liked. I think.

Anyway, my reason for writing this ode to George is that I saw his new movie, Good Night, and Good Luck tonight. It was a sneak screening; the movie doesn’t open until mid-October. Good Night basically tells the true story of the two months during which CBS News anchor Edward R. Murrow stood up to Senator Joseph McCarthy and challenged him about his anti-Communist efforts. The film was shot in black-and-white, and it’s a somewhat slow moving but purposefully-told examination of what happened when one member of the media stood up to a government figure whose actions were, up to then, going practically unchecked.

Clooney’s in the film, but as he did with his directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, he has a non-showy supporting role that doesn’t distract from the matters at hand, and the great performance of the lead actor (in this case, David Strathairn).

Without going into the details too much, my immediate reaction to the film was something along the lines of being impressed, not just because it’s a well-acted and well-made movie. I was impressed mostly because you could just feel Clooney’s passion in every frame. It’s a black-and-white historical movie, not exactly an easy sell, but you just know it’s a movie that Clooney felt he had to make because he had something to say about our present-day government and our television news organizations. And you know it’s the kind of movie Clooney would like if he were a critic.

Clooney makes an effective point with this movie, using Murrow as a symbol for the type of newsman that just doesn’t exist anymore. For that matter, the type of news broadcast that doesn’t exist anymore. (The closest thing we had was Peter Jennings, some might say.) On his See It Now programs, Murrow spent the full broadcast delving into one topic, and in the instances with Murrow, he editorialized and made plain that he didn’t approve of McCarthy’s tactics.

But at the same time he was on his crusade, Murrow was also battling pressure from the network to cut back, to make the news more entertaining. For a while, he also hosted a celebrity interview show called Person to Person, and there’s a scene in the film where he’s interviewing a celeb, while watching news on another monitor. It's obvious that doing the fluff show reviles him.

The son of a news anchor, Clooney clearly reveres Murrow and his role in the history of journalism, By movie’s end, you can’t help but feel the same way about Murrow. Having studied this period in a “News on Film” class I took in college, the story of Good Night was familiar to me. But Clooney’s film reminded me of just how passionate he can be when he believes in something. Good Night is definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. I highly recommend it.

Music from Tragedy

If there's one good thing that comes from major disasters and tragedies, it’s the response from the people in the entertainment community. In the 2 weeks since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, just like they did in the weeks that followed 9/11 and the tidal wave in Southeast Asia last December, singers and actors have come together to take part in various telethons and relief concerts, such as the one I stayed home to watch tonight that’s being simulcast on MTV, VH1 and CMT.

Last week, there was one on NBC that featured artists, like Harry Connick Jr. and Wynton Marsalis, who were from New Orleans. Last night’s show, simulcast on all the major broadcast networks, had a more diverse lineup, one that included Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, U2, Neil Young and Kanye West, among others. Tonight on the MTV show, it’s folks like Paul McCartney, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Green Day, Coldplay, Hank Williams Jr., Alicia Keys and ... well, it’s a four-hour-plus show (the others were just an hour long). Kanye West and Alicia Keys and Sheryl Crow and Neil Young and U2, they all pulled double duty these past two nights.

Anyway, my point here is not to applaud the celebs for taking part. It’s to say how great the music has been. Of course, you knew Harry Connick’s cover of “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans,” even despite his tired and scratchy voice, would be awesome. That's because it’s times like these that separate the true artists from, well, the Britney Spears of the world. Maybe it’s the minimalist performance style that in many of these cases leaves only the singer and a piano or a guitar. Maybe it's the heartfelt emotion in the performances. Or maybe it’s just song selection. Whatever it is, there’s no denying that, for example, the U2/Mary J. Blige collaboration on “One” last night was simply music at its finest. It was one of the best performances of that song I'd ever heard and it blew me away. Mary J. Blige gave me chills. Randy Newman’s “Louisiana” (I think that’s what it was called), Sheryl Crow’s “The Water Is Wide” and Rod Stewart’s “People Get Ready” were also memorable.

Alicia Keys began the MTV/VH1/CMT show tonight with a moving rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd followed with an upbeat — but respectful — “Sweet Home Alabama.” John Mayer (with his blues trio) contributed a new song, “Gravity,” that was written in the last couple of weeks in response to Katrina. Live (on tape) from Milwaukee, the Rolling Stones sang “Waiting on a Friend.” Kelly Clarkson performed a song called “Shelter,” and she did a really nice job with it. And that was just the first half hour or so.

After the 9/11 telethon, the performances in the George Clooney-led telethon were released on CD and all proceeds went to victims’ families and other related causes. I’m hoping that after the past two weeks’ telethons, a similar charity CD is released with “the best” of these shows (there was also one last night on BET that I did not watch). Or that recordings will show up on iTunes. If not, well, if you missed the U2/Mary J. Blige duet, you missed something truly special.