Greetings again from the darkness. Documentarian James Marsh is a smart filmmaker. Here he has an incredibly engaging and energetic subject and he wisely lets Phillipe Petit (and his cronies) tell the story.
An intertwined performance from Messr. Petit (today), film clips and photos of his early years, and insight from his unlikely support group who helped him pull off the "artistic crime of the century" ... a high-wire dance between the twin towers in 1974.
Documentaries rarely have the element of surprise on their side, so it is always a challenge to tell the story in a manner that grabs the viewer. Here Phillipe Petit does what he has always done ... he performs for the audience. Even as he pantomimes his actions of over 30 years ago, one can see the young man in his gleaming eyes.
The clips of the actual event are much better than the dramatization of the set-up. In fact, some of the home movies of Petit's practice sessions are priceless. However, the closest thing we get to a surprise is the bumbling goofs that make up his support team, save friend JL, who is captivating and emotional.
What prevents this one from being great is that we are given very little details on Petit since his amazing event in 1974. I guess we are supposed to read his book.
An intertwined performance from Messr. Petit (today), film clips and photos of his early years, and insight from his unlikely support group who helped him pull off the "artistic crime of the century" ... a high-wire dance between the twin towers in 1974.
Documentaries rarely have the element of surprise on their side, so it is always a challenge to tell the story in a manner that grabs the viewer. Here Phillipe Petit does what he has always done ... he performs for the audience. Even as he pantomimes his actions of over 30 years ago, one can see the young man in his gleaming eyes.
The clips of the actual event are much better than the dramatization of the set-up. In fact, some of the home movies of Petit's practice sessions are priceless. However, the closest thing we get to a surprise is the bumbling goofs that make up his support team, save friend JL, who is captivating and emotional.
What prevents this one from being great is that we are given very little details on Petit since his amazing event in 1974. I guess we are supposed to read his book.