Man on Wire

On aug 7 1974 a young frenchman names philippe petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between the world trade centers twon towers. After dancing for nearly an hour on the wire he was arrested. This documentary incorporates petits footage to show the numerous extraordinary challenges he faced. Studio: Magnolia Pict Hm Ent Release Date: 12/09/2008 Rating: Pg13

Native New Yorkers know to expect the unexpected, but who among them could've predicted that a man would stroll between the towers of the World Trade Center? French high-wire walker Philippe Petit did just that on August 7th, 1974. Petit's success may come as a foregone conclusion, but British filmmaker James Marsh's pulse-pounding documentary still plays more like a thriller than a non-fiction entry--in fact, it puts most thrillers to shame. Marsh (Wisconsin Death Trip, The King) starts by looking at Petit's previous stunts. First, he took on Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral, then Sydney's Harbour Bridge before honing in on the not-yet-completed WTC. The planning took years, and the prescient Petit filmed his meetings with accomplices in France and America. Marsh smoothly integrates this material with stylized re-enactments and new interviews in which participants emerge from the shadows as if to reveal deep, dark secrets which, in a way, they do, since Petit's plan was illegal, "but not wicked or mean." The director documents every step they took to circumvent security, protocol, and physics as if re-creating a classic Jules Dassin or Jean-Pierre Melville caper. Though still photographs capture the feat rather than video, the resulting images will surely blow as many minds now as they did in the 1970s when splashed all over the media. Not only did Petit walk, he danced and even lay down on the cable strung between the skyscrapers. Based on his 2002 memoir, Man on Wire defines the adjective "awe-inspiring." --Kathleen C. Fennessy

This is a dramatic documentary with some history channel re-enactments about an amazing wire-walk from North tower to South, and the incredible set of circumstances, which implies Fates aligned with the universes that night and morning (Slumdog Millionaire has as well Fate as a messege.) Perhaps a Documentary has only a certain number of ways to be done, because it is rather newsy. It certainly needs many, many interviews and actual photographs and film from the event. But I am always revolted by the years gone by where directors rely on these rules like a crutch. An inspiring story that, along with fate, has that messege to chase your dreams; I haven't a problem with versions of a story, but I do with movies that do not feel fresh, and with that romantic energy only passion and intellegence can deliver. This is a documentary like just about any onther you'll find on Digital Cable or else perhaps done better on HBO or those paid channels. Are we still living in a Documentary boom? Have we become desensitized by all the dramas and unveilings of our mysterious world? Petit is a true artist. Walking his step with determination, not living by anyones rules.

Determination, patience, obsession, talent, and lots of hard work. These are the words I can think of to describe this wonderful film. The incredible story of Phillipe Petit and his helpers is something to behold. Both the interviews with them and the re-enactetment of their incredible adventure that took place thirty-five years ago are beautifully captured and told. It is pure poetry. Plus, as a bonus, the viewer will be able to watch his previous experiences as well.

This is a most enjoyable experience!

All true. They just don't get better than this one. Funny, surprising, thrilling, touching, thought-provoking.... I can't recommend this too highly.

Man on Wire is technically a documentary but feels like a good drama with humor, suspense and character development. I was only vaguely familiar with the actual history so I was completely blown away by Petit's incredible feats. I originally saw it on the big screen; I think the DVD will be best appreciated on as large a flatscreen as you can get.

Imagine this: a man stretches a cable between two buildings at a height of a quarter of a mile, walks out to the middle, and lays down on it. What kind of a man could do such a thing? That is the question director James Marsh asks, and answers, in this superb documentary.

In doing so, he skillfully blends present-day interviews with footage and photographs from the past and re-enactment that is so good it takes most of the film before one realizes that some of these scenes could only have been re-created with actors. This is documentary storytelling at its very best.