Man on Wire

After Man on Wire won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature earlier this year, I added it to my must see list wondering how a film about a single, hour-long event could be made into a worthwhile feature length film. Well, last week I finally watched the flick and... wow! The way director James Marsh blends historical footage, present-day interviews, and accurate reenactments of tightrope walker Philippe Petit's 1974 NYC Trade Towers stunt is compelling and awe inspiring. The telling of the story is so well done and doesn't follow a chronologically linear time-line, building anticipation throughout the entire 1 hour and 42 minutes. What really made the film for me is the ensnaring story-telling ability of the movie's star, Philippe Petit, whose french accent just added to his eccentricity. On the surface, Philippe's stunt may seem like the product of a crazy young man looking for attention. That may be true, but the film has a way of drawing the viewer into Philippe's dream world where beauty prevails and the seemingly impossible is the only challenge worth facing. If you're a documentary buff, if you're looking for a truly unique film to escape daily malaise, or if you're watching sitcom re-runs - you have got to check out this movie. Find more information about Man on Wire (2008) here, and click the play button below for the official trailer.