That same story is retold in Robert Zemeckis's oftentimes astounding but clunky "The Walk." Digging a bit deeper into Petit's backstory and his life maturing as a street performer, we are nonetheless left with a final sequence that is both terrifying and jaw-dropping in every sense of the word. More on that in a bit.
The success of "Man on Wire" is undoubtedly Petit himself, a man now in his 60's but still full of life, energy, and a captivating ability for storytelling. While the majority of the documentary is told with recreations and still photos, it is his narration of events and how they unfolded that left me speechless - with his detailed memory and anecdotal qualities turning a typical caper into a sort of fairy tale. In one memorable line, one of Petit's friends recalls the time he first saw a photo of the World Trade Center and declared "of course, they're being built for Philippe." In a way, his destiny was sealed with the construction of these towers that were an unusually perfect stage for a high wire act.
"The Walk" clearly takes inspiration from the documentary, as well as the source book by Petit himself. Joseph Gordon Levitt (cast as the frenchman) proves that it is possible to be too big of a star for a part. The film is highlighted with moments of Petit telling us his story... Directly to the camera... Quite often, in fact. Levitt attempts the same speech patterns and excitement as Petit demonstrated, and yet his performance consistently falls flat. Physical capabilities aside (and I see he actually learned tightrope walking for the film), this was a role that required less of a star and more of a charmer.
Likewise with the remaining cast; perfectly charming on their own merits, and yet oftentimes forgettable and easily forgotten when the film rolls to a stop. Trust me, when the credits were rolling, I wasn't wondering why some of his accomplices looked familiar.
As Robert Zemeckis has aged, so has his skill for computer wizardry, and he seems to be among the forefront of visual effects to aid his story and not choke it (remember "Flight's" terrifying crash scene or any number of moments from "Back to the Future."). Here, I was quite literally blown away. The recreation of the World Trade Towers is done with such skill and expertise that you can all but feel yourself in the wind watching the action unfold. Not for a second did I doubt what I was seeing was real, and as seen in 3D, it's something to admire.
And the actual walk... We've seen some impressive 3D films in the past, but I don't think any film has warranted the extra price until now. As one who is scared of heights, I nearly found myself looking away more than once, and during the 20 minute sequence (or however long it actually is... It felt like an eternity of white knuckling) the entire audience in my theater was absolutely floored. Twitching and pushing as far back from the screen, this was a brilliant stroke of filmmaking and something that quite frankly left me feeling crippling vertigo the next morning.
See the film for the last half (as most reviewers have already confirmed). Watch "Man on Wire" to learn everything else (and coincidentally it's available on Netflix). Overall, this was a movie I won't soon forget.
(Awards potential: Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing)
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