James Marsh's masterful documentary revolves around the incredible 1974 high-wire feat performed by Frenchman Philippe Petit, who insanely managed to tight-rope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Smartly, Marsh avoids politicising his film by making any needless references to the destruction of the Twin Towers in 9/11, instead focusing on the beauty of Petit's act, as well as the ridiculousness of it. Marsh uses a combination of archive footage, current-day interviews with the participants, and most impressively, glossy reconstructions of the day itself, to make the film feel like a heist caper movie, injecting it with more energy and visual aplomb than documentaries are typically known for. It's an incredible achievement, if only simply because we already know the outcome, and yet Marsh is able to make us feel panic and terror at the death-defying nature of Petit's act. It may not touch on any big social issues like many of the best documentaries, but it's a thrilling, exhilarating experience nevertheless.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
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