One of the most refreshing things about this film is that it's told in a more honest and straightforward manner without resorting to theatrics the way "Backdraft" did. Story here is about Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) who has just saved a man from a fire in a warehouse but later the 12th floor caves in sending him plummeting down several floors where he lies badly hurt and drifting in and out of unconsciousness. While Jack lies there he is able to remember the last 10 years of his life when he first reported for duty with Ladder 49. In flashbacks we see Jack meeting all of the other firefighters that he will be working with and he also meets Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) who takes him under his wing and teaches him everything he can about being the best firefighter.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
In other flashback sequences we see Jack meet Linda (Jacinda Barrett) who will become his wife and the mother of their two children. But over the course of the next decade Jack also experiences the trauma of seeing coworkers maimed and dying while on the job which leads to stress in his marriage but Linda comes to understand what it is to be the wife of a firefighter. While lying at the bottom of the warehouse with an out of control fire around him Jack radios Mike and tells him that he understands the type of situation he's in and now Mike must make the hardest decision of his life.
This film is directed by Jay Russell (My Dog Skip, Tuck Everlasting) and given the approach the script takes with this story it seems that he's a good choice to direct this film. While we do see lives being saved and these brave men risking everything to put out fires this is more of a straightforward look at the life of one firefighter. Unlike "Backdraft" (Which I enjoyed) which relied on elaborate scenes of action to be the focus of the story this film instead chooses to be more intimate in it's storytelling. The films strength and effectiveness comes from it's simplicity and instead of going the usual Hollywood route of over the top melodrama this film stands firm in it's realism. Travolta is cast in a supporting role and he seems aware of it because he gives Phoenix all the room he wants to give a solid performance and be the focus of the film. This film doesn't try to be something other than an honest portrait of a typical firefighter and that in itself is something I found refreshing.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
In other flashback sequences we see Jack meet Linda (Jacinda Barrett) who will become his wife and the mother of their two children. But over the course of the next decade Jack also experiences the trauma of seeing coworkers maimed and dying while on the job which leads to stress in his marriage but Linda comes to understand what it is to be the wife of a firefighter. While lying at the bottom of the warehouse with an out of control fire around him Jack radios Mike and tells him that he understands the type of situation he's in and now Mike must make the hardest decision of his life.
This film is directed by Jay Russell (My Dog Skip, Tuck Everlasting) and given the approach the script takes with this story it seems that he's a good choice to direct this film. While we do see lives being saved and these brave men risking everything to put out fires this is more of a straightforward look at the life of one firefighter. Unlike "Backdraft" (Which I enjoyed) which relied on elaborate scenes of action to be the focus of the story this film instead chooses to be more intimate in it's storytelling. The films strength and effectiveness comes from it's simplicity and instead of going the usual Hollywood route of over the top melodrama this film stands firm in it's realism. Travolta is cast in a supporting role and he seems aware of it because he gives Phoenix all the room he wants to give a solid performance and be the focus of the film. This film doesn't try to be something other than an honest portrait of a typical firefighter and that in itself is something I found refreshing.