"Man on Wire"...my front-runner for Movie of the Year.
Oh man, I just got back from best movie I've seen in a long while.
Man on Wire is the true story of the French high-wire walker, Philippe Petit, who transversed the World Trade Center's twin towers in 1973.
It's a documentary that features every key player who contributed to this wonderful "crime". The movie bounces between modern-day interviews and actual footage of Petit and company from the early 70's where they filmed themselves coordinating, planning and practicing the stunt (along with a couple others that I won't spoil). There are a few points where reenactment footage is inserted but it's the minority of what is presented.
The story is interesting as hell, and it almost comes off as one of those bank-heist movies like Ocean's Eleven. You'd never have any idea how much planning, sneaking, and dumb luck is needed to pull of something of this magnitude. It's all entertaining and engaging in it's own right. However, the true star of the show is the man himself, Philippe Petit. This guy is quite simply a joy to watch. He's charismatic, funny, articulate, genuine and an awesome storyteller. He's just a really fun character. It's one of those movies where you are literally out of your seat cheering for him by the end of the film.
The editing and production was really smart too. Add to that a great soundtrack and you're got a simply fantastic film.
The movie is currently running in limited release, but I imagine that the positive buzz it's generating might actually get it out into a major market release. Of course it's a documentary, so that might make it tougher.
Here's a current trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ_-KP9A_I4
It's such a treat to walk away from a film feeling so good. I hope it does well at the box office.
A few years ago...probably late '02 or early '03 I saw a PBS documentary on the World Trade Center. Basically it was a 2 hour piece about the history of the buildings from the idea stage until the day they came down. Petit's story was about 15 minutes long and I basically was pissing myself the whole time I was watching it.
The incredible balls it took to pull this off is impossible to overstate. I was born in 1975, so understandably this was the first I ever heard about Petit's walk. I went into work the next day and yelled at a bunch of my middle aged co-workers for never telling me about this. This seemed like one of those things I should have known about. In the pantheon of really cool things that the younger generation missed out on, this ranks up there with Woodstock, the Moon Landing, and sex without the threat of AIDS.
I am incredibly jazzed about seeing this movie.
Wow this looks fascinating. I heard about the event but I didn't know who did it nor the details of it. I will certainly attempt to see this at very least on video.
Prederick wrote:
"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis.