Chances are high that you've heard of The Walk. Perhaps you know it as a cinematic version of the documentary Man on Wire, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2009. Perhaps you were around when tightrope walker Philippe Petit originally walked between the World Trade Center's two towers in 1974, making headlines across the globe. Maybe you're a fan of director Robert Zemeckis, who directed all three Back to the Future films as well as Cast Away, Flight and Forrest Gump. Or, maybe you've just been inundated with ads for this Joseph Gordon-Levitt-helmed visual spectacular while watching television or browsing the web. Either way, I hope that The Walk has grabbed your attention before this review.
The Walk is a look at the story of Philippe Petit, a French tightrope walker who dreams of illegally rigging his line between the two towers of the World Trade Center and walking between the two gargantuan buildings. The first half of the film delves into how Philippe got this dream and how he became a tightrope walker. With Philippe narrating the whole thing from atop the Statue of Liberty, the first half very much has the feel of a fairy tale. The scenes in Paris and the circus are full of rich colors and fanciful dialogue. We quickly learn that Philippe is arrogant, stubborn, charming and talented -"“ all the qualities necessary to make his dream a reality.
The second half of the film, which covers the actual tightrope set up and execution, is the real meat and potatoes of the film. I highly recommend seeing this film in IMAX 3D (not something I usually say) as the visuals are stunning and meant to be seen in this format. The audience is practically on the wire with Philippe, who spent about an hour in total between the two buildings. The sequence had me constantly holding my breath and on the edge of my seat as he first evades being caught and then maintains his balance on the tightrope. It's a beauty of a sequence to watch, even though I wonder if it is just as spectacular in non-IMAX 2D.
Much of the film depends on your opinion of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (or JGL as I call him). JGL, the person and actor, has a real life personality of a heady mix of confidence and charm. So heady, in fact, that it often edges on annoying. Philippe Petit has that same mix of arrogance and charm that, on one hand, makes him insufferable and on the other makes him unstoppable. Either way, you can't deny that The Walk is a charming and visually stunning story. In a time where people generally associate the twin towers with 9/11, The Walk casts light on a happier time in its history, perhaps emphasizing this aspect a little too directly in its final moments. Still, it's worth seeing The Walk in theaters (particularly IMAX 3D) because it's an uplifting story about a man determined to live his dream at a time when the towers represented hope and progress. While not the most poignant story out there, it's worth seeing for its visuals, particularly if you're a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
