“Why?” That is the question people ask me most. Pourquoi? Why? For what? Why do you walk on the wire? Why do you tempt fate? Why do you risk death. But, I don’t think of it this way. I never even say this word, death. La mort. Yes okay, I said it once, or maybe three times, just now… But watch, I *will* not say it again. Instead, I use the opposite word. Life. For me, to walk on the wire, this is life. C’est la vie.
In 1974, Phillipe Petit, a French wire walker, has a dream to walk between the Twin Towers, and so he puts together a group of people who support his passion to achieve his dreams. Based on a true story, the role of Philippe Petit is played by the talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt who does an excellent French accent. Charlotte Le Bon (The One Hundred Foot Journey) plays the first person who believes in his dream.
While the style of the film was a bit different than I expected, as I got into it I quite enjoyed it. Throughout the film you actual wonder if they’ll be able to pull it off, as setbacks arise. (If you watch the film, you’ll know what I’m talking about.)
When Petit (Gordon-Levitt) makes it across, I breathed a literal sigh of relief, but when he continued to go back and forth on the wire, with the police on either building it was enough to make one seriously anxious!
In real life, Petit spend 45 minutes on the wire, going back and forth between the buildings, and laid down, knelt and even danced on the wire while making a total of eight passes along the wire. All charges were dismissed in exchange for his performance for the children in Central Park.
I definitely recommend giving this movie a try, but be prepared for some tense moments once the wire walking begins!
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