Man on Wire (2008)

One of the best documentaries I have ever seen. Who would have thought such a gently funny man would be drawn to such dangerous stunts. It's hard to put this movie into words but I would say it a analysis of what it takes to truly live life free. Please see this movie and not the remake which is not so good as this to be honest.

Based on Phillipe Petit's novel To Reach the Clouds, James Marsh's documentary retells through interviews, pictures and reconstructions the pursuit of Phillipe's dream to walk on a wire between the World Trade Centre towers.Billed as a heist movie Marsh gets the audiences heart racing before they even reach the rooftops of the towers, but there's no questioning the videos and pictures of Phillipe at work have a majestic awe of their own.Its to the credit of Phillipe's passion and storytelling that you are at all times aware of the risks but at all times believe in him.

The movie sure did a great job in coming up with a screen time duration of more than one and a half hours out of this story, which is not really supported with adequate footage. The approach sets the movie way back by telling the background of Phillipe Petit. The thing is, it's strange that the movie consists heavily of interviews and with less dramatization or narration. It makes the movie didn't feel like a movie, but instead more like an expose. Another weird thing to see is that not all the people interviewed has the story-telling instinct as good as Petit himself. His expressiveness brings the whole thing to life, even without enough footage of the feats he's done.

'Man on Wire' is a documentary about the famed tightrope walker Philippe Petit's unbelievable feat of walking on a thin wire strung between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. First of all,I have to admire the screenplay. We go back and forth between exploring Philippe's earlier life which deals with why he became so incredibly fascinated by the Twin towers from even before their construction started and the dramatic reconstruction of all the planning and execution it took to materialise this special dream of his with the assistance of his friends. The different transitions from one section of the screenplay to the other is pretty much seamless thanks to James Marsh.A special aspect of the documentary is watching Philippe speak and say everything that he says with an almost childlike joy. You can't help but find the excitement in his voice while he describes his passion, his dreams and his miraculous feat and how he achieved it extremely adorable. All he wanted was to do something by defying all the restrictions in life and truly live his dream and it is inspiring. I also loved everything that his friends lent to the documentary with their own insights especially Jean-Louis, Annie and Jean François. The sheer vastness of the improbability of the whole quest could have easily engulfed them, but they always chose to not let anything stop them from believing that this could be done.Although a major portion of the documentary is made in the style of a heist movie, but it never loses the intimate nature of the subject matter. The scenes of Philippe walking on the wires have a surreal beauty about them which is absolutely awe-inspiring and they have the power to leave the audience speechless. I personally would have wanted Marsh to explore and throw a little more light on Philippe's childhood revolving around how and when he discovered his talent, but having said that, it really is a minor reservation.'Man on Wire' is the kind of documentary that will fascinate you with some awe-inspiring archival footage on one hand, while it inspires you with its special subject matter and a special man on the other. Highly recommended.