"A
masterful re-creation of the 1974 tightrope stunt on the Twin Towers.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Philippe Petit in Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk. Based on Petit’s
2002 memoir To Reach the Clouds, the
film is a cinematic imagining of the French high-wire walker’s inspiring coup
between the 110-story high Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on August 7,
1974.
The first half of the film occurs in France where street
performer Philippe (Gordon-Levitt) fascinates the crowd with his juggling acts
and wire-walking. His interest in the craft stretched a long way back when he
was still eight years old and first witnessed a tightrope act in a circus run by
Czech funambulist Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley). It is while he is in the waiting
room of a dental clinic when he sees a photo of the Twin Towers in a magazine.
He is instantly enthralled and decides it will be his mission to walk a tightrope
between the two skyscrapers. As he prepares for the stunt, he gradually
assembles his accomplices, including his guitar-strumming darling Annie
(Charlotte Le Bon), photographer Jean-Louis (Clement Sibony), and acrophobic
and math whiz Jean-Francois (Cesar Domboy). As a sort of practice, Philippe
passes a wire between the twin belfries of Notre-Dame and walks on it but gets
himself arrested in the process.
Finally, the team flies to America and meet new
collaborators like mustachioed insurance broker Barry Greenhouse (Steve Valentine) who has an office high up in one of the
Twin Towers, and fancy-talking electronics salesman J.P. (James Badge Dale) and
his friends, amateur photographer Albert (Ben Schwartz) and stoner David
(Benedict Samuel). Their plan is closely inspected but they still encounter
several speed bumps along the way. But Philippe is determined and on the eve of
August 7th, he successfully walks between the towers on tightrope
for a total of six times, with the crowd cheering below and the police officers
just waiting in the buildings.
The Walk is an
overwhelming visual experience as it re-creates an inspirational event with much
clarity, elaboration and realism. Director Zemeckis masterfully employs
technology to achieve such feat, as well as fully developing its main
protagonist. Indeed, Philippe is an infectious, moving and engaging character.
He is funny, optimistic and ambitious. He always has big dreams and big guts,
and his fascination with America has been constantly and subliminally depicted,
such as the French-language version of his favorite jukebox classics. However,
it is also this part of the film that feels draggy and sluggish. With no
conflict going on, it seems longer than it really is.
The movie finally kicks in and comes to life during the
second act when the team stages the event in New York. The preparations are surprisingly
tense and tight, from recruiting people, doing their research, facing setbacks
and encountering lucky breaks. Everything is planned with precision and careful
eyes so the final execution is flawlessly winning. Philippe, happy and positive
as always, tirelessly brings in joy, hope and encouragement. Even when he steps
on a nail and limps around, he remains unwavering, letting nothing hinder or
complicate his performance.
So when Philippe at last saunters on the cable, with only a
balancing pole with him, it is a moment of exhilarating high. The film brings
us to the thrill of the experience that we can feel our stomachs churn, sweats
drop, and heads dizzying. It is all too surreal, complete with the sky’s great
vista, the rustle of wind passing over his clothes, the sway and metallic creaks
of the wires, and the stifled sound of traffic and amused crowd 110 stories
below. It is not only a physical achievement but the movie makes us understand
what he saw and heard and the sense of peace and liberty that he feels during
the walk.
Undoubtedly, the feature excels with its digital re-creation
not only of the exact moment but also of the early ‘70s Paris and Lower
Manhattan. Except for the shot in the Statue of Liberty’s torch during the
prologue, the rest of the film is impressively and exceptionally digitally
pieced. Seeing the Twin Towers again also stirs feelings of nostalgia and
sadness.
Aside from its slumbering first half, the movie is sometimes
too talky. Intelligent chatters between characters are fine but the film is
fully and painstakingly narrated by Philippe. It eventually becomes nuisance,
especially when it interrupts the action and suspense. When the visuals are
already effective in illustrating the physical environments and inducing appropriate
emotions, do they have to be verbally explained? The narrations are
counterproductive and they should have been trimmed down and done only when
essential.
Gordon-Levitt has apparent troubles with French accent but with his
bizarre wig and contacts and bubbly personality, he manages to deliver a
convincing performance, especially as a professional funambulist. Supporting
cast are also solid, particularly Kingsley who injects momentary humor and
charm.
The Walk is
really about Philippe Petit’s awe-inspiring tightrope stunt between the Twin
Towers. Digital re-creations are topnotch and believable, as
well as the performances of its cast. Zemeckis’ direction is brilliant but
story-telling here needs to be more engrossing.
Production
company: ImageMovers
Cast: Joseph
Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale, Clement
Sibony, Cesar Domboy, Benedict Samuel, Ben Schwartz. Steve Valentine, Mark
Camacho
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Screenwriters: Robert
Zemeckis, Christopher Browne, based on Philippe Petit’s book, 'To Reach the Clouds'
Producers: Steve Starkey,
Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke
Executive producers:
Cherylanne Martin, Jacqueline Levine, Ben Waisbren
Director of photography:
Dariusz Wolski
Production designer: Naomi
Shohan
Costume designer: Suttirat
Larlarb
Music: Alan Silvestri
Editor: Jeremiah
O’Driscoll
Visual effects supervisor:
Kevin Baillie
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