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I’m not going into the debate on whether it’s too soon for a film on 9/11, because I strongly believe that is a personal decision and can never be answered definitively. So I’m just going to focus on the film at hand.

Based on true events, the film follows a group of Port Authority officers who went into the towers to help and where buried in the rubble. Two of those men — John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage, MATCHSTICK MEN) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena, CRASH) — were later rescued. The film chronicles how the day started pretty much like any other day for these men. Officer Jimeno is on his typical patrol when the shadow of a plane passes by unusually low. The impact of the first plane is felt by all in the area. This is when the officers are called into action.

Our perspective is their perspective. We learn information and see the events unfold as they did. As we watched the towers crumble on TV, they had a much closer and horrific vantage point. Once they are trapped, the film begins the parallel tales of McLoughlin and Jimeno’s families. Jimeno’s wife Allison (Maggie Gyllenhaal, SECRETARY) is pregnant and at work. She’s frantic about the whereabouts of her husband. McLoughlin’s wife Donna (Maria Bello, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE) reacts differently, trying to go about her daily chores in an effort to keep a sense of calm at home and distance herself from the heartbreaking reality that may come.

Meanwhile, former Marine Lt. Sgt. Dave Karnes (Michael Shannon, BAD BOYS II) believes that God has called him to leave his home miles away to go to New York to help in the rescue efforts. Other players with small but key roles include Stephen Dorff (BLADE) as rescue worker Scott Strauss, Frank Whaley (SWIMMING WITH SHARKS) as paramedic Chuck Sereika, Armando Riesco (GARDEN STATE) as Port Authority officer Antonio Rodrigues and Jay Hernandez (HOSTEL) as Port Authority officer Dominick Pezzulo. There is some controversy over the portrayal of Pezzulo, but just note that he doesn’t do what may think he was doing.

Performance-wise the film is first rate. Next to LEAVING LAS VEGAS, this is Cage’s best work. He’s ever been his subtle. Pena proves again that he is an actor of great talent and heart. Bello and Gyllenhaal give Oscar-worthy performances.

If you didn’t know that Oliver Stone directed the film, you couldn’t tell from the movie. Stone does not use his usual visual style for the project, opting for a more traditional, straight-forward approach. It’s absolutely the right choice. In the end, he has made a powerful and honorable tribute to the men and women who risked their lives to save others during 9/11.

Despite being heartrending at times, the film focuses on the positive things that came out of the tragedy. In the face of great evil, Americans banded together to help each other just because it was the right things to do. Stone presents his message without creating melodrama. He allows the situation to present the drama that’s inherent in the story and finds common human connections to bring us into the experiences of the men trapped and how their families dealt with the awful waiting.

Writer Andrea Berloff (DOMESTIC) deserves credit for this respectful work as well. They never cheapen the experience by trying to pump up the drama. Is this the definitive statement on 9/11? No it’s not. Distance will bring new perspective and other filmmakers will try to show us a new angle on the sad day. Is there a definitive film of WWII? No. But there are a lot of great films that deal with different aspects of that time in history. It seems that in the future cannon of 9/11 films, WORLD TRADE CENTER will stand as the first memorial to the first responders.