BackFilm review: The Walk
A thrilling 3D IMAX experience, and a warm ode to post-9/11 New York
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Imagine tying a 200ft-long cable across two towers 1,350ft above the ground and then not just walking across it eight times, but also hanging out on it for 45 minutes. This is exactly what Philippe Petit accomplished in 1974 when the iconic twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center were nearing completion. Petit was only 24 then, but this high-wire act was the realization of a seven-year-long dream.
In director Robert Zemeckis’ drama on the life of Petit (previously seen in the award-winning documentary Man On Wire), Joseph Gordon-Levitt takes on the role of the Frenchman. The poor French accent, the hairpiece and a wobbly set-up (with Petit’s backstory, some circus acts and romantic diversions) are an annoyance, but none of this matters when the film actually begins, with Petit assembling a ragtag group of “collaborators" or co-conspirators who will help him achieve his ultimate (and illegal) “artistic crime of the century".
Gordon-Levitt’s performance as the daredevil dreamer is infectious. His co-stars include Ben Kingsley as his mentor Papa Rudy and Charlotte Le Bon as his girlfriend, but the real star of the film is the VFX, or visual effects, as Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) creates vertiginous images which compel you to close your eyes for a few minutes at least.
The high point is the audacious high-wire stunt across the twin towers. Your stomach lurches and your heart races. It’s the most fun I have seen a film-maker have with the 3D IMAX format since Gravity (2013). You know it cannot be real, yet you feel every fear associated with being 110 floors above the ground, looking down on tiny human specks.
The Walk is not just a story about testing human limits and overcoming challenges. It’s about the same madness that drives people to scale treacherous mountain peaks and dive into unknown depths. The film is also a warm tribute to New York City and its changed skyline after 9/11. Make sure you give yourself this IMAX experience—it’s the closest we may come to walking on a high wire at 1,350ft.
The Walk released in theatres on Friday
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