The Walk

            Phillippe Petit is an iconic figure in our American history. Originating from France, Petit made a name for himself in the 1970’s, when he pulled off the stunt of walking on a wire at the top of the World Trade Center, before it was officially complete. Because of this, he made the towers feel all the more special, which garnered him the title of “the man who walked between the towers.

            When announced that biopic was going to be made about his accomplishment, it sounded really interesting to see what they’d do with it. Even if there was already an Oscar winning documentary, I felt like the potential for a feature film could still work if handled correctly. Thus, Robert Zemeckis took it upon himself to make the film happen, in one of the year’s most spellbinding visual events, “The Walk.”

            “The Walk” chronicles the life of Petit, as we are shown his passion for performing on the wire from his youthful days. As he grows up and becomes a street performer, he furthers his passion by being taught by the head of the circus that he grew up watching. When he wants to further his limits, Petit gathers up a team to tackle the most amazing challenge he can give himself: walking between the newly built twin towers of America.

            Let me start off by saying Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a really damn good performance as Petit, showing us a variety of emotions that he goes through while trying to boost his ego and make himself feel like royalty. He’s arrogant, he’s obsessive, he’s self-indulgent, and prideful, but you still find him likable, because of his determination. Some people were a little off by his accent, but when you actually hear what Petit sounds like in real life, it does make more sense in the movie. It didn’t bother me, and this is one of Gordon-Levitt’s fines performances, especially when he’s doing his own stunts, thanks to Petit training him before shooting. All I can say is, if this doesn’t get him an Oscar nomination, I don’t know what will...Maybe “Snowden?”

            Ben Kingsley plays Papa Rudy, the acrobat that teaches Petit along the way. Throughout the film, Kingsley portrays Rudy as a father figure to Petit, as he can see the passion he has for wanting to be a great wire walker, but of course tries to make Petit see past his own pride which he can’t seem to let go. I love the contrast between these two, as you do feel the struggle between them as master and apprentice. I have a feeling this film might possibly get Kingsley an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, if he’s lucky.

            Charlotte Le Bon plays Annie Allix, one of Petit’s crew members and fellow performer. What I like about her and Gordon-Levitt’s scenes is that they’re always seem to find a way to stay supportive of their goals, even after they fight about whether or not they should pull through with their disadvantages. The chemistry between the two is really good, and I’m hoping that Le Bon gets recognition and recommended for more work in the future. Hell, if she gets a nomination too, I wouldn’t mind. I also want to applaud the other cast members, such as Clement Sibony, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, Benedict Samuel, Cesar Domboy, and Steve Valentine, who play the rest of Petit’s crew.

            Now let’s talk about the main selling point of the film, the visual effects and the 3D. I like how the film doesn’t start us off at the wire, instead showing us the progress and build up to it, which is really good. But when it gets to the wire, boy is it nail-biting. As someone who isn’t too fond of heights, you can imagine that I was just gripping my chair and shaking constantly with very passing step. I saw this at the Cinemark XD Theater with my mom, and both of us were just speechless at every moment. The 3D helped it make it all the more impactful, making it the best 3D experience I’ve had since “Gravity,” which I also really liked. And much like that film, I’m hoping this film gets the award for Best Visual Effects.

            Overall, “The Walk” was just a thrilling experience to sit through this year. If you missed your chance to see this on the big screen, I feel sorry for you. But if there’s still a theater that’s playing it right now and in 3D, go out and see it before it leaves. If not, then get it on Blu-Ray, find a friend with the biggest TV you can find, and enjoy everything you can. At the very least, the acting, directing, and story are still interesting enough to warrant a viewing.

Rating: 10/10