Fletch's Film Review: Man on Wire

After seeing Man on Wire, I find myself thinking it somewhat ironic (like rain on your wedding day, of course) that this summer has been dominated mostly by two "superhero" films - Iron Man and The Dark Knight. As it turns out, there's a nonfiction superhero movie, and it's playing right now at your local indie theater.

Like all superheroes, Phillippe Petit has his flaws. Just as Batman and Spider-Man found themselves in the difficult position of pushing their loved ones away at the expense of their "duty," so too did Petit. Though his is not so much a duty as an obsession (a duty in his eyes, no doubt), the French funambulist saw news of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center being built in the late 60s and knew immediately that his destiny was to tightrope between them. Just as the comic book heroes battles' and secret identities cost them friendships and lovers lost, so too did Petit's fantastic dreams.

Having already walked between the modest "towers" of Notre Dame in Paris and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, Petit was no stranger to public displays of his craft, nor to the disapproving eye of the local police forces, but that was no deterrent. Playing to this point, director James Marsh wisely unfolds the story as if this were Inside Man 2.0, once again with no money being taken. Petit and several others recount the job in intricate detail, from inspiration to planning to execution, with recreated scenes of the act taking place and flashbacks to earlier points in the timeline. The amount of drama that Marsh creates is all the more impressive, considering the fact that the interviews with a present-day Petit and the shot on the poster more than give the ending away to those that might be in the dark in regards to the outcome.

Superior storytelling aside, I found myself in awe (and nearly in tears) at the beauty and spectacle of Petit's feats, though he's nearly just as impressive from 20 feet off the ground as he is from 1,350. As someone not yet born at the time of his highwire hijinks (and as someone mostly unfamiliar with funambulism in general), I was in awe of his skills. Petit does not just walk across a wire, he owns it, traipsing back and forth, juggling - I'd tell you more, but it really must be seen to do it justice. Throw in the insane heights and the lack of any safety nets, and you'll truly see what his superpowers are.

Man on Wire is filmmaking at its best. An excellent soundtrack (specifically the use of Satie's "Gymnopedie"), a charismatic star, quirky role players and the story of an ordinary man doing extraordinary things combine to form a film that doesn't just inspire (a word thrown around too easily) but will significantly affect you. On too many occasions, I found myself not only emotionally hit watching Petit perform, but left looking like a mouth-breather, chin dropped and blissfully idiotic.

Fletch's Film Rating:

"You're the best...around!"