A few years ago I wrote about an amazing documentary called
MAN ON WIRE. It was the story of Philippe Petit, a tightrope walker from France
who planned a top secret and illegal event by stringing a wire from one of the
twin towers to the other and walking across. The movie was fascinating to watch
but as with most documentaries, though well received, not a huge box office
success. Apparently director Robert Zemekis felt that it was a great story as
well, enough so that he has turned it into a box office smash theatrical film,
THE WALK.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Philippe, a man with a dream.
As narrator of the film from start to finish, he tells the tale of his fascination
with high wire walkers from childhood on. He watches their every move and
attempts to teach himself as much as possible. Only able to go so far, he
sneaks into a circus tent to try out their wire and is caught by the owner,
Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley). While he is stopped for the day, he works his way
into Papa’s good graces and begins to learn the real art of walking the wire.
To earn a living Philippe works as a street entertainer,
stringing up his rope from one item to another so he can walk across, juggle
and entertain any gathering crowd he could summon up with his antics. Not only
did it provide him with a means to live it also introduced him to someone
special, Annie (Charlotte Le Bon). His performance steals away the crowd she
had built as a street singer. The two become involved and Philippe shares with
Annie the dream he discovered earlier.
While working the street he injured one of his teeth and had
to go to a dentist. While sitting in a chair in the waiting room to be seen he
looks at a magazine and discovers a new structure being erected in New York
City. It is the Twin Towers, the world’s largest skyscrapers at the time they
will be opened. He tears the page of the towers from the magazine and his dream
of walking from one to the other begins.
There are numerous problems that must be surmounted before
Philippe can make his dream come true, the first being that doing so is illegal
and he could end up in jail. There is the construction of the wire to be used,
the exact building of which can and will determine if he lives or dies while
walking. There are extra people to involve to help him transport equipment, set
it up and to film the event. He does indeed set up his team and with passports
in hand they head for America. This is the second trip for Philippe as he
scoped out the sight previously. Now is the moment of truth.
While much of the movie is the build up to this event it is
lighthearted in many moments as we get there. But once the event itself begins,
from the moment they begin to sneak their equipment into the building to the
final walk he takes, it becomes a mind blowing spectacle to behold and not one
for the faint of heart nor those with acrophobia. Any and all will be amazed to
witness the sheer brilliance of director Zemekis’ use of special effects to
make it seem as real as possible. Even knowing in the back of your mind that
this had to have been done using CGI (computer generated images) since the
towers no longer exist you still believe what you are seeing. It has been done
that good.
There is no spoiler that can be made with this movie. Since
it is based on an actual event you know the outcome already. And yet while
watching you still have a sense of unease that permeates every pore of your
body. If you’re someone whose palms sweat during tense moments in movie be
prepared. This one will have not just your palms but your feet and forehead
dripping with moisture as well.
Gordon-Levitt has had an interesting career. Some will
remember him as the teen yet oldest member of a crew of aliens on the TV series
THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN. Others will know him from his more recent work like
BRICK, INCEPTION and LOOPER. One thing is certain, he has grown up to be a more
accomplished actor than many child actors have in the past. With each movie he
seems to get better and better and that shows here. For myself I would think an
Oscar nomination would be in order but chances are more wordy roles will find
themselves there. The supporting cast does an equally fantastic job but it is
Levitt who stands out.
Special kudos are in store for the directors of
cinematography Dariusz Wolski who previously took us on pirate adventures in
the Caribbean (all three films) as well as the special effects teams that made
this film a reality. I’ve heard that in 3-D the film was something to behold
but I can assure you that in regularformat it will still have you clinging to
the arms of your chair as you walk out with Philippe on that wire. While
explosions and spaceships may get the attention the effects used here for me
outshine them all.
One thing of
note with this film. For myself, when Philippe gets his first glimpse of the
Twin Towers I felt a lump in my throat. The fall of both towers still feels
like a fresh scab that gets pulled whenever I see footage of them, real or
otherwise. I can only imagine the feeling the real Philippe Petit gets when he
sees where they once stood. It gets easier as the film progresses but remains
sore at least for me. Still, this movie is one that everyone should make a
point of seeing. The movie leaves you with a sense of wonder and joy. It is one
of my favorite films to be released last year and one I know I will visit
again. My guess is you will as well.
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