The Walk

As a small boy, this reviewer read with excitement about the exploits of the great French 19th century tight-rope walker Charles Blondin who crossed the 1,100ft Niagara Gorge, many times in fact. Growing up, I followed the exploits of the eponymous Lt. Theo Kojak patrolling the mean streets of Manhattan South in the 1970's TV cop series. In the late-1990s I was able to visit New York City.

There is much romance surrounding the Empire State building. In 1957 it was the setting for the romantic film 'An Affair to Remember' starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. The 1993 film 'Sleepless in Seattle' starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, is in truth, really little more than a reworking of that older film. Getting to the top of the building is hard work and takes a long time, and that is with using the series of lifts to get you there. At the top you discover that even a famous horse was there too.

By contrast the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center seemed a let down. Sure, they were an iconic sight, briefly seen in many movies such as 'Working Girl' (1988), and even functioning as a prop in 'Escape from New York' (1981). But the large, fast, and functional lifts, shot you up to the top of the building in no time at all. This all changed for me on Tuesday 11th September 2001. Watching live on the TV, I found the scenes almost impossible to believe. For many months it was difficult to accept the reality of what had happened. Now I am always happy to see a shot of the towers, such as in the opening sequence of HBO's TV series 'The Sopranos' (1999-2007), and would have preferred it to have been retained.

In this new film, 'The Walk' (2015), Director Robert Zemeckis, has penned a screenplay from the book 'To Reach the Clouds', that tells a true story of the early days of the Twin Towers. The story could be considered unbelievable, but this film is in fact a true representation of this astonishing story.

The film is narrated, thus giving us the audience the needed exposition. The early part of the film is set in Paris, France, and is cleverly filmed in a distinctive French-style. Innovative use is made of black-and white photography, subtitles and French-mime to help tell the story of a young street performer working the streets of Paris who uses mime and his juggling skills. His name is Philippe Petit, and in this film he is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The era is the late-sixties, and this is shown well. Philippe himself is a self-proclaimed anarchist. He also has an ambitious dream which is accurately and authentically captured in this film. In 1968, at the age of 17, he reads about the building of the Twin Towers and resolves to walk from one tower to another on a tightrope stretched across the top of the towers.

Before that though we have a nice romance between Philippe and Annie, played by Charlotte Le Bon. We have too, in this film, Ben Kingsley playing the role of an old high-wire performer, teaching his protégé the ropes. We get believable and thoughtful performances from the star and the supporting actors. Philippe, in 1971, walks between the towers of the cathedral of Notre Dame, shown in this film, and in 1973, did a walk at the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, though this is not in the film.

Now Philippe resolves to carry out his ambition at the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City in the USA. This is where the rest of the film is located. Philippe recruits his supporters and they plan their coup. There is a time-element here, as the Towers are nearing completion. Detailed planning is also required and equipment is needed too. It is determined that a 450LB cable will be required as well as a specially made 55LB 26ft balancing pole. The gap between the towers was 200ft, the height above ground 1,368ft. The coup was planned for 7th of August 1974, one week before Philippe's 25th birthday.

While the acting is good, and the contrast between Paris and New York is shown authentically, and cleverly, by the different styles of filming, it is the special-effects that make this film. This reviewer saw the 3D version of this film. It was one of the main draws of the film and it must be doubted that this film could have been made as authentically before now. The camera shoots up and down the Twin Towers as well as across the wire. It looks down at the wire, and then swoops down to the ground. The effect is truly breathtaking. The tension is there throughout the latter part of the film. There too, are you, on the wire, looking up, and down.

It is clear how dangerous and foolhardy was this coup that Philippe Petit attempted. Nowadays, he would be declared an adrenalin junkie. No doubt he was that. This attempt can now never be replicated. I had thought that the WTC should not have been built on. I was wrong. It is right that something bigger and better should be built. The human spirit should always strive to go onwards and upwards.

The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center remain, always, an iconic vision of New York City, as well as the indomitable symbol of soaring ambition, vision, and the spirit of humanity throughout the world. Now Philippe Petit and Robert Zemeckis have given it it's own magic and romance too.

Breathtaking! 10/10.

From the first scene Joseph Gordon-Levitt dons the all black persona and talks about his passion, I'm hooked. This monologue heavy delivery requires that caliber of performance from the lead, also reminds me of Ewan McGregor on Big Fish. It takes the audience on a bizarre yet fascinating adventure and makes us feel like a part of the character's larger-than-life endeavor.

This is the story of Philippe Petit, a performer with the idea of wire-walking across the World Trade Center towers. While it may sound simple, the journey there is a captivating one. The presentation is almost magical with circus act and flamboyant atmosphere, although there are plenty of realistic details and intricate planning involved, at times it almost feels like a funny heist movie.

Visual is breathtaking, the cinematography takes full advantages of the vistas, let it be small village or big city. The way the scenes are shot gives the movie a much more surreal ambiance. It's an enhanced realism, and although it's not as refined, there's a spirit of Hugo lingering here. It makes great use of 3D with timely panoramic shots and even stuff-thrown-at-your-face antic, but for this movie I wouldn't mind.

The same goes with its jazz influenced soundtracks, occasional slow ballad or alternate take on popular songs. The production value just oozes gorgeousness. All the technical aspects aside, the best attraction is definitely Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is utterly remarkable, youthful and charming. This is the kind of acting prowess that can captivate audience with sheer passion, it's a true homage to the real life counterpart.

The Walk is nothing short of a breathtaking tale. Its charismatic protagonist and masterful visual invite the audience to not only walk alongside, but in a sense glide freely through such an inspiring story.

Phillipe Petit shocked the entire world when he was seen walking on a high-wire cable, secured between the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City during its construction. Over one-hundred stories above ground, walking on a wire barely an inch wide, Phillipe could've lost his balanced and plunged to his death at any second. However, that didn't seem to be the story that spilled its way into the public; the focus was more on this unassuming Frenchman and his love for risking his life and facing his potential fate in a head-on, fearless manner. Petit believed, in a sense, that risking your life was the only way to know and feel that you were indeed alive.

Petit's story has become widely known and discussed thank to "Man on Wire," a fantastic 2008 documentary that outlines in detail the how and why of his fearless act. Robert Zemeckis's "The Walk," however, is a well-made, thematically significant account of the events, told within the boundaries of a biopic that takes an introspective, fourth-wall-breaking look at how Petit accomplished what he did.

Petit is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who stands atop The Statue of Liberty whilst telling this unfathomable story. From the first scene, showcasing Petit on the statue, one will immediately detect a strangeness in Gordon-Levitt's French accent. The man who we recently saw proudly boasting and owning a full-bloodied Italian accent has now adopted a rather hammy French accent that occasionally treads the line of self-parody. This is the film's first, and really only, obstacle; if you can get past this, your enjoyment of the film will likely be pretty high. If you can't overlook this, I wish you the best one-hundred and twenty minutes.

The film follows Petit's humble beginnings on the streets of France as a young troubadour, from performing as a street-mime and meeting Annie (Charlotte Le Bon), a singer who performs in the streets as well, who will eventually be an accomplice to his high-wire act in New York City, to becoming an ambitious wire-walker. He enlists in the help of Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), a famous tightrope walker in the circus, who agrees to help him accomplish his dreams, albeit reluctantly so. The remainder of the latter half of the film concerns the extensive planning and development of Petit's plan to walk the rope between the Twin Towers and subsequently carrying out his actions.

Audiences sold by the film's series of daring and ambitious trailers may be shocked to note how much goes into the exposition of the buildup and around-the-clock planning of the walk itself. By the hour mark, I was beginning to question why Zemeckis, a known "visualist" in Hollywood, responsible for gems like "Back to the Future" and "The Polar Express," was chosen to direct a film that was so narrative-driven. But then, as quickly as the film began, the scenes atop the World Trade Center did, and in a way, allowed the real film to finally start as a result. When one sees how magnificent and captivating the scenes surrounding Petit's walk is when they'll see Zemeckis's artistic vision; it was an event so unspeakably tranquil yet suspenseful that I couldn't help but feel my palms sweat. The way Zemeckis and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski - who intently focuses on clouds and atmospheric naturalism during the walk - wrap the audience up in the awe-inspiring risk and inherent danger that comes with this event makes the film transcend fiction in a way that has the ability to give audiences a real experience. So few films do that that it becomes petty to complain about something like the weakness of Gordon-Levitt's accent.

On a thematic note, however, "The Walk" is a fascinating look at the ideas of optimism and courage that have ostensibly become interwoven in the fabric of American society of the years. The Twin Towers, in the film and in real-life, represented financial stability and international connectedness, and Zemeckis works to emphasize it in a way that spells out loving respect more-so than it does imminent disaster. The towers are viewed as a simple of untold bravery, much like Petit, and "The Walk" reminds us of a time period that still had the remainder of the world looking to America as a place of impossible achievement.

Zemeckis does a wonderful job at blending drama with visuals here, much like he did in his last film "Flight," a brilliant drama that came unfairly branded as both a disaster film and a courtroom drama. With "The Walk," Zemeckis takes empathy-inspiring visuals and themes of American exceptionalism and makes them function in a manner that is germane to the film's inherent aura of wonder. If you want it broken down in a simplistic manner, however, its delightful cinematic qualities and breathtaking visuals justify the ticket-price.

In 1974, the French street juggler and equilibrist Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) decides to cross the towers of the World Trade Center walking on a tightrope. He travels from France to the USA with his girlfriend Annie (Charlotte Le Bon) and their friend and photographer Jean-Louis (Clément Sibony). They team-up with a small group of residents and plot a scheme to take their equipment to the roof of the building. Will Philippe make his dream come true?

"The Walk" is a highly entertaining adventure based on a true story. The performances are great but the special effect of the crossing of Philippe is amazing. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Travessia" ("The Crossing")

The Walk (2015)

*** (out of 4)

The incredible true story of high-wire walker Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who got to live his dream of crossing the Twin Towers in 1974.

THE WALK was first brought to the screen in the Oscar-winning documentary MAN ON WIRE but obviously director Robert Zemeckis saw something in the story that made him want to turn it into a feature. THE WALK was released to Luke warm reviews and it ended up dying a rather painful death at the box office but I'm going to guess that it won't be forgotten but instead fine a good cult audience somewhere down the road.

The story itself is something of complete wonder and there's no question that the documentary did a much better job at telling it. With that said, even thought the documentary is the better of the two films, this feature still offers up some impressive visuals and performances that makes it worth seeing. I didn't get to see the film in 3D so I can't comment on that but I thought Zemeckis did a wonderful job at making the viewer see and feel how high up Petit was.

The scenes certainly have a very claustrophobic feel to them and you can't help but panic yourself just wondering what you would do in a situation like that. Just reading or hearing about the story will make you wonder how a human could do it but this film gives you a great feel and idea of the terror that it would cause in most people. Gordon-Levitt gives a very good performance in the role of Petit and I especially liked how the movie didn't back down from him at times not being so likable. I thought the actor did a remarkable job getting into the role and you had no problem believing that he was the real guy.

THE WALK does contain some flaws and that includes it running on a bit too much. Everyone going into the movie knows the story so there's a rush to get to the actual walk in the movie. I thought the early stuff dragged on a bit too much and I think some editing probably would have helped things. However, once we actually get to the walk itself there's no question that the magic takes over and that alone makes the film worth sitting through.