THE WALK (2015)

Genre: Thriller/Drama

Running Length: 2:03

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley, Clément Sibony, Cesar Domboy, Steve Valentine, James Badge Dale

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Screenplay: Robert Zemeckis & Christopher Browne

If you have a severe fear of heights, I would suggest you walk away from THE WALK. The exceptional CGI effects, 3D rendering and camera work of our lead character risking his life to high-wire walk across THE 110-story Twin Towers (of the World Trade Center in NYC) will guarantee to give audiences sweaty palms and dizziness. Every step he takes on that steel cable across the 140 ft gap between the towers is a heart stopper - no net and no harness, just death beneath him. 

Robert Zemeckis has done an impressive job of recreating Frenchman Philippe Petit walk, giving audiences today a taste of what happened in 1974. What's more impressive is the surprising amount of tension it still generates when you already know the outcome.  

However, that can't be said with the narrative leading to "the walk". The movie is clearly divided into three segments. The first provides a background of Petit and his early influences, which turned out to be boring and surprisingly cartoonish. Act Two picks up the pace a little and showcases Petit's preparation for his grand anarchist artistic act, which plays out like a heist film. This is no Ocean's Eleven but yet it plays out more realistically compared to Ocean films thanks to Murphy's Law. And of the course, the third segment is "the walk" itself. 

Although Joseph Gordon-Levitt is both energetic and entertaining portraying Philippe Petit, the one that deserves any award is the people from the technical department for its triumphant special effects wizardry. For those looking for a more intricate and factual representation of the daredevil's life leading to "the walk", go watch the award winning documentary Man On Wire. Those looking for a more cinematic and sheer spectacle experience, this movie is a better option. 

Rating: 8/10