The Walk (DVD REVIEW)
The Walk
DVD
Review by Kam Williams
Visually-Captivating
Drama Recreates Philippe Petit's Daring Feat
In
1968, Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a struggling juggler,
mime, magician and trapeze artist decided to elevate his game,
literally, by stringing his tightrope between the tops of the Twin
Towers. The World Trade Center was yet to be erected, which gave the
Parisian street performer a half-dozen years to plan and practice for
his death-defying feat.
Finally,
on the morning of August 7, 1974, he pulled off the eye-popping stunt
with the help of a few friends sworn to secrecy. They'd agreed to
help rig the high wire, despite breaking the law in the process.
You
see, Philippe hadn't bothered to ask the authorities for permission,
figuring it'd never be approved. And for 40 minutes, he put on a
heart-stopping show, during which he danced a jig, saluted the crowd
below and even lay down on the wire to take a brief rest.
Written
and directed by Oscar-winner Bob Zemeckis (for Forest Gump), The Walk
recounts the events surrounding Philippe's bold and historic stroll.
However, the film takes a few liberties with the facts along the way,
ostensibly in deference to the demand for the sort of romance and
tension found in the typical Hollywood drama.
Consequently,
Philippe has a hand-wringing love interest here, Annie (Charlotte Le
Bon), as well as several close calls while hovering a quarter-mile
above the ground between skyscrapers. In reality, the relationship
wasn't very serious and the only time he feared for his life was when
he fell down a flight of stairs while being manhandled by the cops
who'd just arrested him.
If
you're interested in an accurate, if less sensational version of
events, check out Man on Wire which won the 2008 Academy Award for
Best Documentary. But if all you care about is production values,
stick with this hyperactive, special f/x-driven affair guaranteed to
keep you on the edge of your seat until Philippe plants his feet back
on solid earth.
A
heart-stopping spectacular which plays fast and loose with the truth
in the interest of overstimulating entertainment.
Good (2
stars)
Rated PG
for mature themes, peril, brief nudity, drug references, smoking and
mild epithets
Running
time: 123 minutes
Distributor:
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
3-D
Blu-ray/Blu-ray Combo Pack Extras: Deleted scenes; First Steps; The
Amazing Walk; and Pillars of Support.
To see a
trailer for The Walk, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR1EmTKAWIw
To order
a copy of The Walk on 3-D Blu-ray/Blu-ray Combo Pack, visit:
