The Walk

The Walk (2015) is about the man who crossed a wire strung between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Philippe Petit is a French wire walker. He sees a picture of the towers under construction in a magazine and the idea arrives at that moment. The years after are preparation: the cable, the angle, the wind, how to get into the building, how to hide overnight. The first two thirds are staged like a heist. A crew is assembled, identities are faked, equipment is smuggled in. The walk itself is the last section. Zemeckis shot it in 3D and designed that section as an experience of height. Reports from IMAX screenings described viewers feeling dizzy and nauseous, some leaving the auditorium. The sequence produces a literally physical effect. Joseph Gordon-Levitt learned to walk the wire from Philippe Petit himself. The same event is covered in the documentary Man on Wire with real footage and Petit's own account; most viewers recommend watching both. It lost money. The imitated French accent and the narration device bothered some viewers. The towers were rebuilt digitally. It runs 123 minutes. Good for: true events, height, and technical showmanship. Less good for: anyone afraid of heights may not manage the last section, and the first half is slow.