WTC View (2005) User Reviews

A sweet story and a decent attempt, but fails to hit home even at its best

[SusieSalmonLikeTheFish · 6/10 · 21 April 2017]

People leaping from hundreds of feet in the air from a burning building to end it all, clouds of dust so thick you could cut them with a knife, human beings obliterated into bone fragments - not to sound overly dramatic or anything, but this is the 9/11 that took the whole world by surprise. Being Canadian I was nowhere near the Twin Towers, but my uncle had done business with people who are now deceased. Even today he says it was a total shock to turn on the television here in Canada and see the buildings he had visited in the past just sinking into the ground like that. So, it must've been completely horrible and ultimately quite an emotional experience for somebody actually living near the towers to pick up the pieces - but you wouldn't know it from this film.

It introduces us to a young man who lost his roommate, a man he admittedly never really took the time to get to intimately know, in the World Trade Center attacks. He lives in an apartment right near where the towers had been, and although he won't admit it, it deeply bothers him and he often shows signs of severe PTSD. While this all could've made for a terrific testament to resilience and hope, unfortunately I found that the film felt sort of dry. The acting was on par with my high school drama class, with dialogue that often felt forced and fake. We are subjected to many corny jokes, a kissing scene which seemed very acted-out rather than romantic, and a lot of odd ranting from Eric himself which often didn't even have anything to do with the story at hand. I would say that the best scene this film has to offer, the scene which made the film completely worth watching, came from the monologue of a dissatisfied "number-cruncher" who had been trapped in one of the elevators of the towers and who finds himself telling Eric the horror of seeing suicides from the North Tower falling onto the ground right beside him from the top floors. Very disturbing and sad, but an excellent acting job nonetheless.

Now, to be fair, I can understand why film footage from 9/11 wasn't featured, and why the more horrific moments of the incident weren't brought up a lot. To dwell on it directly may have come across as gory and tasteless, an angle which I don't think the filmmakers were going for, and a lot of the footage of the Twin Towers is not in the public domain. That being said, seeing as the film is about 9/11, one would think that footage of the towers, not graphic footage but just general footage, would be featured in some way. We get a few photographs of police cars and memorial tributes, but that's about it. This hinders the film in some ways, mainly because to truly feel Eric's pain as a character, the audience watching the film has to understand the severity of what he went through, and you don't really get that from the same hour-long set of his small apartment building. In the end, he is shown to have overcome his trauma and grief, and that's inspiring, but we then get his friend, Josie, talking about 9/11 with such nonchalance that it appears as though neither character ever cared in the first place. It's like, oh yeah, right, they killed your roommate Eric, whatever, let's keep packing up these boxes before your boyfriend shows up. I mean, I could definitely understand Eric and Josie eventually regaining a sense of normalcy, but still, to discuss a dead friend so casually like that just didn't seem real. Josie herself was quite annoying as a character. Her voice was loud (it sounded like her actress was shouting every line), and her constant badgering of Eric to call that special 1-800 number for psychological help, it was just grating in a way. She wasn't suggesting it, she was pushing it. For Eric's supposed best friend, she wasn't very friendly at all.

On the bright side, this film has its moments. It's not too morbid or too off-beat, it isn't overly vulgar or crass in any way, and its general theme of finding closure was a good one. It's not bad and it's definitely worth having a look at.

Tears and laughter

[Bobolink · 10/10 · 12 June 2005]

After viewing dozens of features and shorts at 2005's Newfest in New York City, 12 festival days climaxed for me at the screening of WTC View. The story of a gay man living 12 blocks from Ground Zero placing an ad in the Village Voice for a roommate to share his Soho apartment on Sept. 10, 2005, his respondents' and his reactions during the next few weeks plucked a string in this ex-New Yorker's soul that is still resonating as I write this.

Just like that fateful day of November 22, 1963, hardly any of us will forget what we were doing and where we were when we heard of 9/11. I was sitting with a now-deceased friend of mine in my Amsterdam canal house apartment when the phone rang not long after 3 pm Central European Time and a Dutch friend of mine told me to turn on CNN to see something incredible. And indeed, from 3000 miles away the shock and panic pierced me to the core. To relive a group of New Yorkers' own narratives and reactions was both purifying and heart-rending.

The individual stories of the characters in WTC View, each a personal and personalized vignette of how their lives had been changed on that fateful morning, death and survival intertwined, the New Yorker's coping strategy confronted by 'you can run but you can no longer hide', healthy reactions to sick jokes, all make this a film no one should miss.

Kudos especially for director Brian Sloan and actors Michael Urie and Nick Potenzieri as well as the rest of the players who had me laughing and crying from beginning to end.

Respectable feelings

[sandover · 4/10 · 7 February 2010]

The majority of the reviews state how the film "brought it all back", "the feelings we all had but did not dare talk about", and on the other hand a surprise concerning the actor playing Eric who was a bitchy character in "Ugly Betty". Well, that does not tell me a thing about the film. Was it good, bad, a pretext for the nostalgias? Did it study them?

The premise was good: not showing what lies outside, leaving it all for the last shot, trying to focus, or maybe make it a bit suffocating, yes, that was a good premise. Unfortunately, it is average. And being average in a feature that puts itself in that specific period and these events, wow, it must score! Not this one. The feelings in the end are too respectable, they take themselves too seriously, as if it is a disgrace to be comical, not knowing how wise this is. And the main character does not. See how reportedly lame in the dialogues his jokes are. OK, he may be embarrassed. But so is the film. Even worse, because being embarrassed can be defended by "so were the times", this is unfortunately counteracted by giving interiority to the possible room-mates parading. For they sure have more interiority and humanity than the main character, and this makes me not really care about him. He is too neurotic and self-conscious for any caring dramatic effect, and the direction is too slice-of-life no exit up to the end, to come off as something else than, actually, biased.

I would prefer a slice of the others' lives. They seemed more alive, and, at some points, giving their time to Eric's "ranting", as his friend repeatedly said, was little more than pandering.

Well worth searching out

[saltsan · 8/10 · 19 October 2005]

I saw this movie at ImageOut, the Rochester Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival. Although a shallow, good-natured film called "Summer Storm" won the audience award at the end of the week, most of my friends--people who like more complexity and substance in their films--thought this film was the best of the fest. Focusing on a 30ish gay male photographer whose apartment looked upon the World Trade Center and who is now coping with the trauma he suffered on 9/11, this drama with comedy is one of the most warm and deeply felt human dramas I've seen all year. You really learn to care about the photographer, named Eric, and his all-too-human response to overwhelming historical events. The humor comes organically out of the material without seeming inappropriate or ghoulish, and the film really shows us what it's like, in a compelling way, to live in historically significant times. Were this film to have starred bigger stars--say Jake Gyllenhaal as Eric and Claire Danes as his gal-pal friend--it would be talked about as an Oscar contender today. As it is, this little gem of an indie needs searching out. Many of the actors in this film, particularly Michael Urie and Nick Potenzieri, will be stars one day. See them here first, and remember I told you so.

Beautifully written, but could have been better adapted to the screen

[jm10701 · 9 April 2013]

Although I had moved a few miles north before the World Trade Center was attacked, and I didn't look down the Hudson River and see smoke where the towers used to be until after they'd both fallen, I was deeply shocked, and I grieved for them for at least ten years. It was the most painful experience of my adult life. I didn't know anyone who died there; I was grieving for the buildings, which had been there in the background of my life like an anchor I didn't know was so important until it was gone.

But those wounds finally healed, and seeing this movie now, in 2013, isn't as cathartic for me as it might have been when it first came out eight years ago, when my grief still seemed inconsolable. So for me, now, this is just a movie, and I respond to it as if it were about a subject that never affected me at all.

As a movie, it's better than I expected. Michael Urie and Elizabeth Kapplow are excellent as Eric and Josie, and the rest of the cast are good enough not to be distracting (except for Jeremy Beazlie's horrendous British accent). The direction is surprisingly good, which is unusual when a playwright adapts his own play to the screen and also directs it; that's almost always a formula for failure, but Sloan does it fairly well.

As a play, it's beautifully written, never predictable or trite, and I'm sure it was deeply moving when performed live in a theatre. Unfortunately, the transition to film could have been better. But that's a very hard transition to make, and nobody has EVER done it perfectly except Mike Nichols with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

So although I admired this movie a lot, I never really believed it, never got deeply involved in Eric's trauma, because I could never get past the knowledge that he was acting.

Stage acting and movie acting are very, very different; and this was a play performed for a camera instead of an audience: admirably done, but the stage-bound formality of both the writing and the acting kept me at a distance emotionally.

Really, REALLY bad acting... but could offer some closure / worth a view for some

[excalibur212 · 3/10 · 3 March 2016]

I stumbled upon this movie somewhat randomly, as someone with a similar experience living in New York City and searching for roommates after 9/11, and had no idea anyone had ever made a film on this topic, and did enjoy and find commonality in a few brief moments and scenes. While I am straight, I went through much of the same emotional turmoil as the main character in my desperate search to find a roommate and continue my New York City life in the days and months following Sep 11. I ended up having to leave my apt, and began the first serious romantic relationship of my life in October 2001, an intensely passionate and largely dysfunctional relationship which ended horribly, yet nonetheless I will always love her dearly. In truth, we were both still grieving and dealing with these events in our own ways when we met, only weeks after these events, and if not for 9/11, we never would have met.

I still feel a lot of guilt over my anguish over the years and how Sep 11 affected me personally, because in comparison I was so fortunate compared to so many others who lost their lives, friends, loved ones, or suffered permanent health issues. But the emotional toll it took on all of those who lived through it directly, even those of us seemingly spared from direct loss, should not be overlooked. I am glad someone made a film about this. I only wish they had found better actors!

Unfortunately, the acting and directing are so bad that it's mostly hard to watch, as it takes away from the impact of the script (which isn't that bad and has some strong, cathartic moments). All the body language and interactions between the gay lead and his potential "roommates," were just "off", as if he had no idea how to relate to other straight or female actors. Even the way he interacted with his female best friend felt phony and forced. The only time the main actor seemed comfortable at all was during the gay scenes (nothing pornographic but definitely might be uncomfortable to some viewers), which I think says more about him as a bad actor than any statement about the film or events.

Exquisite

[extrarh · 10/10 · 12 June 2005]

Haunting in it's simplicity. This movie captures the raw emotions of the days following 9/11 without sensationalizing nor cheapening the memories of those we lost. The limited cast performs an incredible range of emotions that draw us to them and allow all of the different types of emotions and reactions people moved through to be explored. The lead, Eric, draws us into his pathos as naturally as going for a walk and his descent is haunting. Despite all of the fear and anger that he (Eric) experiences, and the frightening awe of Alex's survival of Tower 1, you feel better for seeing their performances.

This movie serves to remind us of what we saw, felt, thought, and never said to anyone. It is refreshingly real and without the pretension of a documentary or newscast. Instead we see the rawist of human experiences in people we root for (and fear we are or have been).

I hope that this movie is picked up and at least given a DVD release. Future generations can learn a lot from it about how 9/11 threw us all off balance and changed the world forever.

Must See Antidote to Megamedia

[B24 · 9/10 · 11 September 2006]

Clearly adapted from a stage play, this low budget film avoids the crass sentiment of the big productions. It is now appearing on cable TV for a wide audience and will almost certainly gain wider attention.

The sound and feel of its location are exactly right, without ever focusing in on the eponymous site itself. Clever use of micro scenes accent the mood of the main character, whose internal anxiety is the true center of attention. And the acting of most of the walk-through characters adding dimension to that character's development shows that a good script and good direction can overcome lack of big-time experience.

What a great relief from the morbid sentimentality of most 9/11 stories! A real stunner. Must see.

Room with a view

[dave1606 · 10/10 · 15 October 2006]

I recently had a chance to screen this film with the director present. He said that his two inspirations for this movie came from Rear Window and Rosemary's Baby. Not exactly two films that come to mind when you think of a 9/11 movie. However, they are fitting. The main character in the movie is trapped in his apartment. We do not see the outside world until the last frame. His prospective tenants go and look out the window of the bedroom and we know what they are looking at without ever seeing it. We do not see it because it is not a movie about us. It is a movie about the characters on screen and their dealing with the tragedy. Writer /director Brian Sloan has captured almost every angle of reactions to that day. Perhaps the most interesting reaction comes from Alex(Nick Potenzieri), as someone who was actually in the tower when the plane hit. He has a positive look on life, and begins to look at everything differently. This movie would be fascinating enough if it were just about prospective roommates and their dealings with Septemeber 11 but it isn't. It becomes much more as we deal with Eric and how profoundly he was affected by that day. This movie is an intimate, moving portrayal of events that we all know, but in a much different way than we have ever seen. I highly recommend it if you can find it to watch.

More to Mike than Mode

[KatoCollins · 10/10 · 26 March 2007]

I was a freshman in high school, sitting in the front row in Spanish class on 9/11. Even though it has been five plus years since that day, the emotions I went through in 2001 are still there. As they were watching this movie. One day I was channel surfing and stopped at LOGO and saw it was a movie starring Mr. Urie from my favorite new show UGLY BETTY. All I knew about Urie was the flamboyant Marc who couldn't be more "fluffy" as was stated in a recent episode. So I was really surprised at his performance as a gay man a few blocks away from ground zero. During the movie, Marc from UGLY BETTY disappeared and Urie the actor shown through like a star in darkness. When I watched his performance I found myself recalling that day and the days that followed.

If you haven't seen this movie, rent it. Watch it. Yes it is sad and it evokes emotion we all felt that month in 2001. But also like that year, the movie leaves with a message of hope even in the face of terror and pain. The subsequent times I viewed the movie I wasn't the person I am now, I went back to September 2001 and I do cry remembering the fear I had not knowing what would happen. I remember feeling what Urie's character was feeling, though I was 6 hours away. But my heart is still lit up inside by the end remembering the hope that was there.

If you are a fan of UGLY BETTY, you will see Marc in a whole new light. For me, watching this movie, I gained a whole new respect for Urie as an actor than I had watching him in UGLY BETTY.

Packs a punch

[CoolRobert · 9/10 · 14 January 2007]

This is SO worth seeing. I was hesitant, thinking it would be a big gloom-fest. But instead, I found myself very moved by a beautifully acted, written and photographed film. It really needs to be seen.

I was surprised to find out that the star, Michael Urie, is the bitchy gay assistant on Ugly Betty. He is such a versatile actor, that it's hard to believe it's the same person. I love the way the director chose to keep some of the staginess from the play. Usually this is not a good thing, but this film uses it to good effect, increasing the intimacy and immediacy of the story and performances.

Congratulations to the talented cast and everyone else involved!