Directed by:
Robert ZemeckisCinematography:
Dariusz WolskiComposer:
Alan SilvestriCast:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale, Ben Kingsley, Benedict Samuel, Ben Schwartz, Steve Valentine, Sergio Di Zio, Jason Blicker (more)VOD (1)
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Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only one man – Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), and aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, Petit and his gang overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan. (Sony Pictures)
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Reviews (13)
In Rush, it doesn't really matter which character you sympathise with, because you understand the attitudes, opinions and motivations of both, they just take different paths. With Man on a Rope, you sympathise with no one, or rather you don't understand the motivations of the main or secondary characters (comparissons are warranted given the strong will of the protagonists to prove "something" at any cost). Thus, the viewer cannot get into them and finds them completely flat and uninteresting. With the film's concept and cheap means of expression (for today's times), Robert Zemeckis is stuck somewhere 20 years back, only he didn't understand that times are moving inexorably forward and there have been plenty of attempts like this, though in a less visually sophisticated way. So much untapped acting potential (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley), and so many unnecessarily obvious screenwriting crutches and underdevelopment – the biggest failure of A-list Hollywood this year. Forrest Gump was heartfelt, this may be just about heartfelt for the Yanks, but for the normally minded viewer it's just a showcase for effects masters. Otherwise it's a load of bullshit, unnecessary tears and pathos.
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The atmosphere of the film was similar to the one in the film Hugo by the equally acclaimed director Martin Scorsese. In fact, the whole movie was extremely nice for me to watch, even though I knew it wasn’t quite par excellence. On the other hand, I think Robert Zemeckis squeezed the absolute maximum out of that story. Basically, we all know how it will turn out, but I still couldn’t shake off the tension that was thickening inside me towards the end. An absolutely perfect Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who obviously aced both French Parisian slang and walking on a rope, to amaze us all with a great acting performance. But he still didn’t manage to beat Ben Kingsley, who, evidently according to Phillip Petit’s own suggestion, played the Czech emigrant Rudolf and could give away his charisma to the rest of the acting staff. The more the pity it is that he had so few scenes where he could show off his talent. What can we do, the film was just about a slightly special character in the history of rope climbing, and the character could not have earned a better film than this one. And I’m quite glad that Joseph as Phillip Petit didn’t skimp on arrogance. A normal person would probably never be able to do this...
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A stunning digifest with a beating heart that only Robert Zemeckis could have given it. A celebration of enthusiasm, determination and courage. A tribute to the Twin Towers. Lovely French charm. After a long time, Alan Silvestri’s soundtrack soothes the ear. A nice role for Gordon-Levitt.
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It's like I went back in time fifteen years. Robert Zemeckis tells the extraordinary story of an ordinary dreamer at his usual unpretentious pace, leading the main character to a breathtaking catharsis in the final moments. And yet it doesn't reach the quality of the similar Cast Away and Contact, mainly because this is exactly what I expect from him, and therefore the surprising or even seat-raising moment is missing. On the other hand, The Walk referenced in the movie's title is arresting, and shows in full force what could be sensed from the beginning: that Philippe Petit is not at all petite as artists go, but more with the heart of Le Petit Prince, far above us in his head and desires – in the heights that remain forbidden to mere mortals like us.
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Zemeckis is a master of extraordinary human stories like this, because it takes a lot of skill and dexterity to cut out such an entertaining, well-thought-out and life-beating story puzzle from a colourless sketch with a single dramatic arc. Thanks to the humorous journey with many imaginative interludes, we fully connect with Levitt and his hero, accept his life values and root for his bringing his crazy plan to a successful end, even though such a happy ending cannot be doubted for a moment. And when the camera slides gracefully from the top of the World Trade Center into the silent depths of acrophobia, we almost feel the enormous power of the moment with the hero. There are flaws, and I personally regret that we don't actually get a chance to genuinely worry about Petit's life, but that doesn't change the fact that as an unorthodox celebration of human will and courage, the film works perhaps as well as it ever could... 85%
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Gallery (37)
Photo © TriStar Pictures / Takashi Seida
![The Walk - Photos - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, Clément Sibony, César Domboy](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/189/160189309_85f9da.jpg)
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