Ladder 49 [2004]
Director: Jay Russell
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Jacinda Barrett, John Travolta, Robert Patrick
Whenever I find myself at home alone, having shamelessly downloaded a film, watching it on the sneak, hoping the RIAA (or whatever the cinema-equivalent is) doesn’t come busting down my door, I always get what I have over the years called the coach-class effect. Whenever I fly, you see, and I’m watching a film on the little screen mounted in the seat in front of me, that’s all I focus on. It’s all I hear, it’s all I see. I find I can concentrate quite well when I’m in an aeroplane. The same goes for when I’m at home watching something on my computer screen. I sit so close that I get completely immersed in whatever I’m watching, be it a television show, feature film, documentary or a music video.
And it usually leaves me incredibly emotional, and this time was no exception.
I’ve heard this film described by some of my friends who’ve seen it in the cinema, as a festering piece of escrement. Perhaps it was the coach-effect, but I have to disagree. While it certainly wasn’t a milestone in cinematic history, nor was depth or realism very pervasive elements in Jay Russell’s rather rookie attempt at cinematics, but the film left me with something else; an monumental feeling of worthlessness.
You see, I’ve helped my fair share of people with advice, services, favours, money, or whatever else I was able to afford them, but I’ve never really done anything selfless, courageous and brave. And it seems that this little superhero-wannabe ( read: me ) is convinced that all of that is what it takes to become a truly good human being.
