Man On Wire

I unabashedly admit that I thought this documentary would be rather boring. While the event it chronicles--the story of a young French man named Philippe Petit, who walked across a tightrope hanging between the Twin Towers--is certainly exhilarating and unique, my mindset was: how much content could the director possibly muster for such a small feature?

Thankfully, my judgment was misplaced, because the film was fantastic and captivating. Philippe was quite the eccentric person to follow; every time he was on screen, I couldn't help but smile at his multitudes of quirky micro-antics. Not only that, but the supporting players in this tightrope fiasco were pretty engaging and relatable. I especially connected with Philippe's brother, who seemed to be the only one without a few loose screws; he was certainly the voice of logic throughout the whole ordeal. A side note: I felt really bad for the Philippe's girlfriend throughout the documentary. Her needs and aspirations were basically ignored by Petit for the entirety of their relationship, and then after he accomplished his goal, he cheated on her and left her! Low blow, Philippe...

The build up for the film's climactic moment--Philippe walking across the Twin Tower gap--was well executed. It was told in a way that made it seem some like mystical folk tale passed down through generations. The music helped create that feeling; I was ecstatic with the use of Erik Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1" in the actual tightrope scene. It's one of my favorite songs of all time, and the dreamy chords in that tune add to the surreal experience that the film offers.