Review of Man on Wire (2008) by Todd G — 10 May 2011
A great documentary about an amazing story. The story? A frenchman named Philippe Petit tightropes across the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Roof to roof. Think about that a second, and how high up that is.
No safety devices of any kind, just a wire, a man, and a balancing pole, 110 stories up, for almost 45 minutes, complete with some "stunts". Everyone (with some research) knows how this ends, but that is not really what the documentary is about.
As it ends up, wire-walking between the two towers is illegal (go figure), and this documentary is more like a good "bank heist" story than anything. All of the preparation that went into doing this is remarkable, and just like any heist there are many problems that occur along the way.
Philippe Petit himself is a very engaging storyteller and really pulls you into his tale. I think this documentary had great pace and used the perfect blend of old video/photo coverage, interviews, and some re-enactments.
The musical score was very well done as well. On a personal note, there were several times during this movie that I felt some pangs of sadness knowing that this great piece of New York history is no longer around (the twin towers).
Especially during the footage of the towers being built. This film does not dwell or even mention anything about the 9/11 attacks or the towers destruction, which is probably just as well. It still serves as a fitting tribute to the towers and their history.
This review of Man on Wire (2008) was written by Todd G on 10 May 2011.
Man on Wire has generally received very positive reviews.
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