Oliver Stone moves dramatically away from his recent dazzling but often self-conscious if not self-congratulatory filmmaking to direct "World Trade Center" in a somber, focused and straightforward manner that serves the material extraordinarily well. By focusing on two of the few who did survive the collapse, the film achieves emotional power and an uplifting ending. Thus, "WTC" could provide a mass catharsis for American audiences much as "United 93" did for those who saw that earlier film.

Subscribe to the Hollywood Reporter and see the entertainment industry from its best angle: the inside looking out. Complete access to real-time news and exclusive analysis that goes behind the scenes from film to television, home video to digital media.

   Subscribe now.