Movies

For me, this is what cinema is all about, and this film is striking in that it encapsulates so much in a documentary. Man On Wire has more suspense, thrills, wonder, imagination, human spirit and inspiration than any other film I have seen in recent years. The music, composition and photography, structure and editing are all superb. Some of the shots are simply breathtaking. Some scenes in the film are incredibly atmospheric, and they will be forever burned in your mind. The film captures a human sense of achievement, drive and determination better than any other film I know. Heres the ultimate proof of this films power - the audience didn't shift until a good couple of minutes into the credits.

I too saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival, and wow, what an experience.It is hard to put into words just how good this film is, and on just how many levels it works. It is intensely fun, good-natured, laugh-out-loud funny at times, poignant and heart-wrenching at others. The images, not just of the central feat, but of many of Philippe Petit's performances are arresting and jaw-droppingly beautiful. Each of the supporting characters is colorful and entertaining in his or her own way, but none more so than Petit himself, who is so instantly likable that it is hard not to get immediately drawn in to this fascinating tale.Even with this description, I am not doing the film justice. I have not seen a film this good in years. If you have a chance (I believe it is scheduled for release in August), GO SEE THIS MOVIE.

I was really looking forward to this as I'd heard so many rave reviews. But Man on Wire was only okay. The movie is over-long, heavy on shadowy reconstruction and boring interviews, and totally fails to capture the awesome nature of the feat performed, which is served only by contemporaneous stills. The central character is not appealing enough to engage us, and reminded me of Malcolm Maclaren, which can never be a good thing. Like so many men who are driven to perform spectacular feats, he comes over as having been self-centred and demanding in the pursuit of his dream. I was looking at my watch within 20 minutes of the start, and feel that the good basic story would have been better served by a 45 minute TV documentary.