Ladder 49 - (Russell;2004;USA) - ***
A firefighter is trapped on the 12th floor of a burning building. As his team desperately tries to rescue him, he recollects how he got to where he is, from his day as a rookie through his marriage and the dangers of his job.
A film that adds to its characters what most movies lack. This could've easily been an average action movie or a melodramatic mess, but it proves very good. The characters are given depth, such as Jack's wife. Their relationship is realistic, as well as the relationship between the firefighters. Even the narrative, which in this day and age could be less then creative is used for the right reasons. Why he is flashingback has meaning, not just a tool to catch the audience in the film's grasp. Very good performances by Phoenix, Travolta, and a cast of memorable characters that are convincing, not cardboard cut-outs. One of the better things is the fact that the film doesn't try to make the characters look like action heroes, but true heroes who risk their lives for others.