‘The Walk’ a visceral experience
Thursday October 22, 2015 | By:Tony Baksa |
“The Walk” is much like a procedural. Usually procedurals are associated with the solving of a crime. No real crime, here, but the commonality is the utter focus on an event. The path to this event is almost as exciting as the event – the walk.
What is “The Walk”? It is a true story of an extraordinary wire walk across the twin towers of The World Trade Center high above lower Manhattan in 1974. High-wire artist Phillipe Petit becomes obsessed with attempting this death defying act after he sees a picture of the towers in a magazine. So he recruits a support team to realize his dream. The method to his madness is portrayed in a most exciting way as Phillipe and company travel to America from France to work out their scheme. Two-thirds of the film is devoted to this richly detailed plan. It is highly interesting and weirdly comical. In fact, the entire movie is weirdly comical – from the situations of danger in the planning right up until the walk across the massive void form tower to tower.
The film moves along with a momentum that keeps us interested. We are treated to key moments in Phillipe’s maturing as an artist in Paris. He is reluctantly mentored by the stern but funny Papa Rudy played deliciously by Ben Kingsley. A task master, Papa Rudy, ultimately is won over by Phillipe and funds his project to take on the towers. Also available for support is Annie, a Parisian street artist who is charmed by the charismatic Phillipe. Played by Charlotte le Bon, Annie is equally as charming as our hero.
The remaining third of the movie is riveting and edge of the seat enthralling. Petit wire-walking with only the clouds and an occasional bird for company will have you reeling. Why would anyone want to do this? As played by the whimsical Joseph Gordon-Levitt, you can believe his passion. Gordon-Levitt turns in a funny performance – charming and heroic. His motely support crew is as idiosyncratic as a grunge band – entertaining and likeable. But, it’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt that, like the wire-walk, is the main attraction.
Much of the credit goes to veteran film maker, Robert Zemeckis (Forest Gump, Polar Express). Zemeckis specializes in subtle whimsy. He is the reason “The Walk” is such an original piece. His screenplay is based on Petit’s book “To Reach The Clouds”. Directed with an emotional pull, Zemeckis manages to give the audience an amazing experience. Watching “The Walk” in 3D is the next best thing to walking the walk – or not. I was thrilled by the feeling but some may not enjoy the visceral high-wire experience. It may make you squeamish but it’s a fun kind of squeamish akin to the thrills one gets from a really scary horror flick.
Evoking 1970’s New York City and Paris, I appreciated the subtle nods to this era. We get gut wrenching shots of the former World Trade Center that serve as homage to these tragic monoliths. It is quite moving. With astonishing cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, “The Walk” is unlike any movie I have seen in years. To evoke old time Variety movie critics, “Run, don’t walk to “The Walk”. It is great fun!
What is “The Walk”? It is a true story of an extraordinary wire walk across the twin towers of The World Trade Center high above lower Manhattan in 1974. High-wire artist Phillipe Petit becomes obsessed with attempting this death defying act after he sees a picture of the towers in a magazine. So he recruits a support team to realize his dream. The method to his madness is portrayed in a most exciting way as Phillipe and company travel to America from France to work out their scheme. Two-thirds of the film is devoted to this richly detailed plan. It is highly interesting and weirdly comical. In fact, the entire movie is weirdly comical – from the situations of danger in the planning right up until the walk across the massive void form tower to tower.
The film moves along with a momentum that keeps us interested. We are treated to key moments in Phillipe’s maturing as an artist in Paris. He is reluctantly mentored by the stern but funny Papa Rudy played deliciously by Ben Kingsley. A task master, Papa Rudy, ultimately is won over by Phillipe and funds his project to take on the towers. Also available for support is Annie, a Parisian street artist who is charmed by the charismatic Phillipe. Played by Charlotte le Bon, Annie is equally as charming as our hero.
The remaining third of the movie is riveting and edge of the seat enthralling. Petit wire-walking with only the clouds and an occasional bird for company will have you reeling. Why would anyone want to do this? As played by the whimsical Joseph Gordon-Levitt, you can believe his passion. Gordon-Levitt turns in a funny performance – charming and heroic. His motely support crew is as idiosyncratic as a grunge band – entertaining and likeable. But, it’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt that, like the wire-walk, is the main attraction.
Much of the credit goes to veteran film maker, Robert Zemeckis (Forest Gump, Polar Express). Zemeckis specializes in subtle whimsy. He is the reason “The Walk” is such an original piece. His screenplay is based on Petit’s book “To Reach The Clouds”. Directed with an emotional pull, Zemeckis manages to give the audience an amazing experience. Watching “The Walk” in 3D is the next best thing to walking the walk – or not. I was thrilled by the feeling but some may not enjoy the visceral high-wire experience. It may make you squeamish but it’s a fun kind of squeamish akin to the thrills one gets from a really scary horror flick.
Evoking 1970’s New York City and Paris, I appreciated the subtle nods to this era. We get gut wrenching shots of the former World Trade Center that serve as homage to these tragic monoliths. It is quite moving. With astonishing cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, “The Walk” is unlike any movie I have seen in years. To evoke old time Variety movie critics, “Run, don’t walk to “The Walk”. It is great fun!
http://www.thesunnews.net/around_town/611-'The_Walk_a_visceral_experience.html
