The Walk

I can admit i am afraid of heights, especially when i have to be high up, in a skyscraper, or in a shopping mall with a hell of a lot of floors. I remember one shopping mall in Thailand, who had 10 floors, and was massive in height. I started to panic on the 6th floor, as i happened to look down, because you could see all the way down from the glass edges. So what did i do ? I just focused to find the nearest bar. The did not have my favourite, Ron De Jeremy Rum, but i could find other nice things. And it seemed as 2 lady boys were checking me out, must have been my hairy chest, i have been told it is magical. Back in the 90´s i used to help my father Thomas at his construction company. So i had to deal with heights, even if i did not enjoy it. Even if i was afraid climbing high on large buildings, to isolate pipes, i just had to focus on the job. Nowdays i try not to climb anything, except for my wife, when " My Little Friend " is ready to go. Let´s get serious for a moment. Does anyone remember the 1974 walk between the Twin Towers of the Wold Trade Center, by french high-wire artist Phillip Petite ? This is still today considered to be one of the most shocking and unexpected performances ever made, from a high wire artist. Since this event, Phillip Petite is an icon, who managed to walk eight passes along the wire. Incredible indeed. I would personally never even try to walk on a wire, that is why i love planes, helicopters, it feels much more safe. I remember watching the documentary film called Man On Wire. A very good documentary, based on the story surrounding Phillip Petite, so you get to understand why he did this. You also get to find out more about his passion for high wire performances, and what inspired him to become a high wire artist. I did not really know that a film was going to be made, inspired by this true story. But when i heard director Robert Zemeckis was going to direct this film, i became curious. Since i really enjoyed his film Flight, with Denzel Washington, i was hoping that he would return with another really good film. Is this another proof of why Robert Zemeckis is a talented director, or is this film not what i was hoping it would be?

The year is 1973. Phillip Petite ( Joseph Gordon-Levitt ) is a street performer, who try to do different performances, including joggling, magic and other appreciated tricks. But since he is not allowed to do street performances without permission, he have to find new locations. During a performance, he eats a hard candy and hurt his tooth. He visits a dentist, hoping to get the tooth fixed. While waiting in the waiting room, he is reading a magazine, and see a picture of the Twin Towers of the Wold Trade Center. He suddenly come up with a crazy idea. He will walk between the Two Towers, with a high wire. He rips out the picture of the magazine and begin to work on his plan. Phillipe is kicked out of his parents home, simply because they don´t like what he is doing with his life. Phillipe still have no plan to change, so he goes back to a circus that inspired him as a child. There he get the chance to meet legendary high wire teacher Papa Rudy ( Ben Kingsley ). At first, Papa Rudy do not like him, until he begin doing a performance. Papa Rudy can see that he do have some talent after all. Phillipe meets a beautiful street performer, named Annie ( Charlotte Le Bon ), and they fall in love. Phillipe tell her about his plan, to go to New York and walk between the Two Towers of the World Trade Center. She thinks that he is insane, but support his dream. Phillip ask Papa Rudy to help him train, and learn how to make wires much stronger, and what technique he might have to use to pull this off. Phillipe is ready to shock the world, but is it possible to make this idea reality ?

When you make a film, based on a true story, you really need to make it realistic, and also include great acting. Knowing that The Walk is supposed to show us what happened, before Phillip decided to do this walk, and during his high-wire performance, you get to see some different sides from this classic event. Let´s begin to discuss the acting. I am actually suprised to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the lead role as Phillip Petite. He is actually good in the role, and tries to resemble the personality, in his own way. As he mixes speaking french, and english, it becomes more clear that he is trying to sound like Phillip Petite, and manage to do so pretty well. Since this actually did happen, you can´t help feeling amazed that he actually did go this far, who else would have thought of doing something this dangerous in New York City ? Director Robert Zemeckis is an legendary director, and i do enjoy films like the Back To The Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Forrest Gump, among some of his work. His animated version of A Christmas Carol, with Jim Carrey, was also enjoyable. He have been around the film industry a long time, and have made all kinds of categories. But with this film, The Walk, he goes back into the Forrest Gump mode, and try to tell a story, that shocked a whole world. I would not say Phillip Petite is anything like Forrest Gump, there is a big difference between these stories. But you can feel a certain style from the direction that Robert Zemeckis have tried to put together. As we follow Phillip, telling his story, from the time as he was a young boy and discovered high wire artists at a local circus. All the time he spent training, to become a professional high wire artist, to show an audience how serious he is about being a real performer. I really enjoy Ben Kingsley here, as the strict but professional high wire teacher Papa Rudi, he knows how to make characters come to life. Once you see the big walk start, you will guaranteed sit in your sofa, and feel dizzy from the heights. The walk itself is very well directed by Robert Zemeckis, it is not easy to make a scene like this look good. The film itself is a charming story, where you realise that you can do anything, no matter what your dream is. I would not call this one of the better films of Robert Zemeckis, simply because it is a bit slow sometimes. Still, since this is a true story, and have great acting included, it is still worth your time. History is important to tell, to inspire children growing up to become whatever they want to be. Phillipe Petite proved this, and this film shows some of his personal issues, as he tried to prove everyone, including himself, that he would not give up. The Walk is an interesting view on a big event in history, a bit long, but still a well made film. I am not going to enjoy heights now, or never, i prefer airplanes, and a whiskey ( or two ), you can just fall asleep and wake up when the plane has arrived. Sounds good indeed.

Rating: DDD