Shoddy camerawork, a lackluster script and insufficient
character development would be the primary criticism that would be
prudent to heap upon one of the most anticipated movies of the
fall.

The story of “Ladder 49” is told in a series of flashbacks. The
movie starts with Jack Morrison (the astoundingly organic Joaquin
Phoenix) and the other members of Ladder 49 tending to a raging
fire in a 20-story building. Jack is injured and trapped amid an
avalanche of rubble and seething flame. The audience has no idea
what is going to happen to him. The story then reverts to the
beginning of Jack’s tenure at the firehouse, getting through his
first fire and dealing with the antics of the practical-joking
firefighters. When he first meets Chief Mike Kennedy (the ever-hot
John Travolta), the ol’ boy is sitting at a desk in his boxers,
doing shots and smoking a cigar while talking about how their’s is
the most “disciplined” firehouse in the city. Kennedy ends up
playing mentor/all-knowing father figure to Jack throughout the
film.

Then the story goes back to Jack inside the fire, revealing new
action every couple of scenes.

Jack meets Linda (the underrated Jacinda Barrett) one day at the
supermarket and after a few dates (one being a funny scene
involving Irish Car Bombs) he tells her his heart is taken.
(Aww.)

The film shows the passage of time through Linda and Jack’s
relationship, from dating to marriage and child-rearing. Since the
movie has a confusing format, that progression is a vital timeline
in the film. They go from hopelessly in love to bickering, to
tension and fighting about the danger involved with Jack’s job.
Linda’s character is a pain in the arse; constantly complaining
about how worried she is about Jack being injured or killed.
Obviously, he’s a firefighter. It’s not like working in a bank. The
women should stop being so irrational.

While the character development is minimal, the feeling of
brotherhood and the courage of fire fighters is in ample supply.
The blue-collar lifestyle is also portrayed excellently; director
Jay Russell made a point not to exaggerate the daily life of a
fire-fighter. Still, Russell puts emphasis on brotherhood and the
importance of family without getting too melodramatic about it.

Comparisons to “Backdraft” are inevitable, but while the Ron
Howard epic uses cinematography to make the fires intense and
believable, “Ladder 49” uses the “Blair Witch Project” technique
and jerks the camera around to the point of viewer nausea. There
are several dramatic fires in the movie, and after a while they
become redundant. Russell should have spent more time on character
interaction and less on excessive tragedy.

The script is rather stilted from a standpoint of continuity.
Phoenix manages to make the character of Jack tender and
believable. Travolta actually takes a backseat in the film, but
matches Phoenix acting wise. His longwinded, trite speeches seem
fresh even when you know he’s got to be kicking himself mentally
for uttering such clich�s. Even so, there is an undercurrent
of emotion in the film that is impossible not to connect with.

Even though there are technical imperfections, the movie is hard
not to love. It reveres firefighters for their bravery, without
being cheesy or capitalizing on the tragedy of 9/11. (Not to
mention the sexy firefighters).