FOLIO
Release Date: September 30, 2015 in IMAX
Running Time: 2 hours and 3 minutes
Rated PG for thematic elements involving perilous situations, and for
some nudity, language, brief drug references and smoking.
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Grade: B+
Starring:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit
Charlotte LaBon as Annie Allix
James Badge Dale as Jean-Pierre
Ben Schwartz as Albert
Benedict Samuel as Jean-Louis
Steve Valentine as Barry Greenhouse
& Sir Ben Kingsley as Papa Rudy
Even Impossible Dreams Begin with a Single Step
When Philippe Petit was a young boy in Paris, he fell in love with the circus. He was particularly drawn to high wire walking and street performance. As he grew up, his father was disappointed in Philippe’s career choice, but that did not stop him from following his dream. Philippe’s skills were mainly self-taught with some advice from Papa Rudy who was the patriarch of the high wire walkers from the circus. At the age of 17, Philippe saw an image of the Twin Towers in a magazine while he waited to see a dentist. This sparked his passion for forming what he called ‘le coup’ to walk between the 1,350 foot skyscrapers (expected to be the tallest buildings on earth in 1968). Six years later, Philippe and his collaborators started their spy work and preparations for an August 6, 1974 set up date. Exhausted yet filled with anticipation, Philippe and his crew caught a ride to the 104th floor and began a night of rigging the steel cables and anchoring the cavalletti for the performance of the century!
Sony Pictures’ drama/biography of Philippe Petit and his famous walks between the Twin Towers is visually appealing and gives the audience a realistic view of life on a high wire. Director Zemeckis brought us a film that included the major points in Petit’s story. He created a couple of characters to make it interesting and left out the practice on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia in 1973, but created a wonderful backstory for Petit’s early days in France. Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only Philippe Petit has ever, or will ever, walk between the Twin Towers, at a height of 1,362 feet above ground.
Gordon-Levitt’s performance at Petit was remarkable. He mastered the accent along with the wire and stunt work. Petit performed for 45 minutes on that wire, going back and forth eight times. He not only walked the wire, he danced on it, laid on it and saluted watchers from a kneeling position. The Walk not only showcased the life of an artist with no fear, it delivers a revered look at the Twin Towers. I could not help but feel something as I watched scene after scene take place at the site of 9/11. Zemeckis literally takes us out on the wire with jarring visuals and a bird’s eye look at the ground. Moviegoers that have issues with heights or vertigo should know in advance that this film can be dizzying at times, especially in 3D IMAX. I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Walk. I found it thrilling and heart pounding and it left me wanting to learn more about the artist Philippe Petit. ~A.S. MacLeod
My head is full of doubts and when it’s time to step on the wire I don’t know if I will be able to take my first step.
Your heart will tell you what to do.
Robert Zemeckis’ version of the true story is certainly full of heart. Known for films with interesting and strong male leads such as Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, and Flight, Zemeckis’ dream of bringing Philippe Petit’s daring dream to life is as gripping as I believe that he intended it to be. Zemeckis is also known for his special effects and his talent is apparent in every scene. Joseph Levitt-Gordon also poured his heart and soul into the film as evidenced by his passion for learning hire wire walking by none other than Philippe Petit, by learning to speak fluent French, and his intense performance. The rest of the cast should also receive mention as their supportive roles led up to the climatic ending which had my heart pounding and my hands sweating. Dare to walk amongst the clouds with this one! ~Movie Buffette
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