By TIM ESTILOZ ★★★★☆
Long before the horrific events of Sept 11, 2001 seared the images of The Twin Towers into our consciousness as an indelible symbol of terror and tragedy; the audacious act of a high-wire walker named Phillippe Petit in 1974 transformed the mammoth, then incomplete, structures into a worldwide spectacle of wondrous inspiration and awe.
In The Walk, director Robert Zemeckis delightfully recounts Petit’s daring and dangerous act of performance art, and the events leading up to it, with the lighthearted comedic touch of a stylish crime caper. Petit’s walk was already wonderfully chronicled on-screen in the Oscar-winning 2008 documentary, Man On Wire. However, Zemeckis and actor Joseph Gordon Levitt as Petit personalize the story in a way that uplifts and entertains the audience, rather than simply informs.
The first two-thirds of the film delves into Petit’s fascination in France with one day conquering the NYC towers and the formation of his group of diverse accomplices which includes his then girlfriend Annie ( Charlotte Le Bon ) and mentored by high wire legend Papa Rudy ( Ben Kingsley ) beforehand. This expository first portion of the film is entertaining enough, though Levitt’s portrayal of a charming, yet arrogant, performer of grand ambitions skirts being a tad annoying at times.
However, the supreme payoff in this film is its final 45 minutes when Petit and his crew amazingly rig the wire despite multiple obstacles and Petit begins his incredible walk. Zemeckis’ brilliant direction and special effects team create a stunning visual experience that makes one feel as though you are literally traversing the wire with Petit over 100 stories above the pavement.
Truly, the only way one should see this visually transcendent sequence is in 3D Imax. Rarely has this cinematic technology and its sensory experience been more effectively utilized.
The Walk accomplishes a stunning feat as wondrous and near impossible to comprehend as the breathtaking act of combined bravery, artistry and insanity of its protagonist, Petit. In the end, the film doesn’t make us entirely forget the eventual tragedy of The Twin Towers on 9/11. Indeed, a tastefully subtle acknowledgement of the sadness to come is displayed as the film fades to black.
However, the film’s great triumph is how it, if only temporarily, replaces the images of tragedy; by instead, vividly restoring our diminished memories of the World Trade Center as something once majestic, grand and yes – even joyful.
CAPSULE REVIEWS
THE INTERN ★★★☆☆
A wonderfully entertaining, warm-hearted comedy about different generations learning from one another and finding friendship. Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway shine together.
SICARIO ★★☆☆☆
Gritty and violent look at the war against the Mexican drug cartels. Some solid performances by Emily Blunt, Benicio De Toro and Emily Blunt, but the film feels watered down against the reality we hear on the news.
