The Walk [Blu-ray] [2015] [Region Free]

This film tries too hard to be quirky with its narrated story arc. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Phillipe Petit, a Frenchman obsessed with all things aerial, who pops in from time to time to tell his story. Levitt is charming and likable in the role of wire walker Petit, and his journey from street busker in France to World Trade Centre wire walker in the US makes for fascinating and entertaining viewing. The 3D aspect of the film certainly enhances the feeling of vertigo as Petit's team of hand picked miscreants prepare for the walk that will not change the world, but would definitely change how security on this massive pair of buildings would be handled in the future... I would have preferred a more straight forward telling of these events, as the narrated interludes by Petit's character marred the flow of the film, hence the lower score. The humour of the situation and character would have remained, the spectacle and heart in mouth visuals undiminished, and the absolute insanity of the act, just as thrilling without the narration. Still, a very worthy and entertaining film...

I've found it very hard to review this film,not because it's bad,it's brilliant.The acting is superb and the 3d effects are incredible.What is hard to describe is the physical effect watching this film had on me.I suffer from vertigo normally films don't bother me but on this occasion when it got the sequence where the main character is at top of the World trade center and looks down for the first time brought a physical reaction from me and I almost stopped watching,I did pause for a couple of minutes before continuing,and I'm glad I persevered because it is a great film.A wonderful tribute to brilliant act of shear lunacy/bravery and the twin towers.This is a film that has to be experienced in 3d.

The Walk is a pretty fine attempt at bringing an incredible, cinematic true story to the screen.The heart of it is of course the story of Philippe Petit stringing up his high wire and walking between New Yorks famous Twin Towers but you'll have to wait for that as the film fills us in on Petits history - taking a whistle stop tour of his life before building towards the actual "coup".Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a charming, magnetic presence as Petit, narrating his own tale from an amusing perch on the Statue of Liberty. A cast of familiar faces pad out the rest of the roles as our boys partners in crime. My biggest criticism would be that perhaps some of these roles are a little under developed but such is life. It is Petits story after all and he dominates proceedings.It all builds to what we really came to see - the admittedly thrilling, breathtaking finale up in the clouds. This surely looked even more impressive at the cinema in 3D but still retains some punch here. For further proof that yep, this really did happen then check out the excellent doc "Man on Wire" which makes a great companion piece to this.

If you have vertigo or suffer from heights, you may not want to watch this. It is based on a true story when this French man very daringly attempted to walk between the Twin Towers in America. I loved it, although I have to admit when he was on the tight rope and looking down, it made my hands feel quite sweaty. I would say this is a must watch. But be warned, it is not for anyone who suffers from heights. It is very gripping and Ben Kingsley is well prepared as the teacher. I suggest you do watch it if even though it does get you going while he is between the Towers. Did he make it across ?. I'm not going to tell you. You should watch it anyway. PC.14. 12. 2017.

Robert Zemeckis is without doubt one of the most innovative and talented directors in the history of cinema, making some of the best movies of the 80’s and 90’s, including, ‘Romancing the Stone’, ‘Back to the Future’ (and sequels), ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’, ‘Contact’ and of course, ‘Forrest Gump’ and as such, I was saddened when he turned his back on live action films a decade or so ago to concentrate on motion capture. Therefore, I was very excited when he returned to the live action field a couple of years ago with ‘Flight’, but like that film, ‘The Walk’ is not bad, but considering the talent involved, just very disappointing and Zemeckis, whilst still a great director, is no longer the visionary he once was.The story of Philippe Petit and his 1974 ‘walk’ between the twin towers is amazing and truly inspiring and was the subject of the brilliant 2008 Academy Award winning documentary, ‘Man on Wire’, which if you have seen, removes virtually all suspense from ‘The Walk’. That is not to say that you will not be drawn into the film, you will, but with some overdone French accents, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s bordering on comic, especially stood atop the Statue of Liberty and a slow pace, the film does not impress until the very end, when the ‘walk’ begins. If only the whole film had matched the emotion and cinematic experience of the end, because if it had, this could have been a superb film.Whilst there are many stunning shots throughout, it is however only towards that Zemickis finally displays his dazzling talent as a film maker, but it has taken nearly an hour and twenty-minutes to get there.Overall, I found the film slow going and whilst not boring, not as impressive as I had hoped. It is however a lasting love letter to the ‘walk’ and the twin towers themselves, which are stunningly recreated. The last line of dialogue, when Philippe reveals that his pass to the viewing platform atop the tower was ‘forever’ and the last image of the twin towers on screen are especially poignant.This film will be more exciting if you have not seen ‘Man on Wire’, but it is however worth watching none the less, just not one for the collection.