Friday, December 11, 2015

'The Walk' Wonderfully Balances the Thrills and the Feels



The Walk is based on the true story of daredevil Philippe Petit’s legendary tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.

Driven with the passion for the art of the high-wire act and, probably, madness as well, French street performer Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has always dreamed of putting a rope between the Twin Towers and walking on it.  So with the help of his “accomplices” and against all odds, he proceeds with this terrifying, insane endeavor – making his mark on history forever.

The plot is very interesting; it’s so well-done and well-detailed.  I was immediately invested right from its opening scene, and the movie never lost me.  Furthermore, the visuals, production value, and camera work exquisitely collaborates to augment the already engrossing narrative as it unfolds.  The acting is great, too, particularly Gordon-Levitt’s.  His French accent’s a little goofy and distracting at first, but it eventually grew on me.

The climax is quite gripping.  I have a fear of heights, and this played well in favor of enhancing my experience of it.  As I watch the intense, realistic high-wire action brought by the stunning visuals, my heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and I was tingly all over – as if I’m having the actual, physical experience of being in a high height and looking down below.  I can almost equate the breath-taking thrills that this movie has to that of a theme park ride.

Moreover, not only is The Walk thrilling, but it’s also even, in a sense, inspiring.  To be honest, I never thought that so much rich drama and insights can be derived from a story revolving around a daring and remarkable but essentially trivial act.  Even so, the script accomplishes creating something deeper and heartfelt from this.

The Walk is a fantastic movie, and it’s definitely one of my favorite films of the year.  

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