Those who have heard about the movie know that there is no convoluted
story. It is mainly about basking in the digital genius to see the fantastic
demonstration of what an absolutely unflinching power of belief can achieve. Let
me wrap up the story quickly before I jump on to what it feels like witnessing
it in a theatre hall.
A death-defying young French boy Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), fascinated by the skill of walking on high wire, pursues it mainly through self-learning which is bettered and completed by his mentor Papa Rudi (Ben Kingsley). His eyes constantly hunt for a space to connect it with his rope and be a showman of the place. He makes up his mind to bridge the gap between the then tallest towers of the World Trade Center. He forms a team of accomplices to pull off this coup - his dream. He spreads a wire in the no man’s land of the New York sky and turns the wire-walk into a cakewalk.
A death-defying young French boy Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), fascinated by the skill of walking on high wire, pursues it mainly through self-learning which is bettered and completed by his mentor Papa Rudi (Ben Kingsley). His eyes constantly hunt for a space to connect it with his rope and be a showman of the place. He makes up his mind to bridge the gap between the then tallest towers of the World Trade Center. He forms a team of accomplices to pull off this coup - his dream. He spreads a wire in the no man’s land of the New York sky and turns the wire-walk into a cakewalk.
The long, heightening shots of twin towers act as teasers for the main show as they haughtily send shivers down your spine. 3D version gives you a special access, transports you to the terrace of the World Trade Centre, and gives you a frightening privilege of walking with that crazy chap who would salute, sit, dance, and even lie down on wire. You will observe many rounds of gasps from the audience while Philippe enjoys his walk and acrophobic souls recover from dizziness. Visuals are simply out of this world; particularly the early morning sight from the tower and the scenes from the wire, between the towers, are enough to knock you off your feet. Robert Zemeckis, the director, creates as big voids between our continual breaths as the void between the towers.
As Philippe Petit, Gordon-Levitt shines through brilliantly and enjoys as many silent prayers for his safe comeback as Amitabh Bachchan might have had gathered while in hospital. The movie is truly a spectacular spectacle. What Petit pulled off is the exact opposite of petit; to say the least, it was and till date, the ballsiest act the world has ever seen. Go and be a part of the most exciting morning walk you can ever have in this lifetime.
