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Movie Review: The Walk

Danilo Castro

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has come to embody the everyman for modern audiences. As the hopeless romantic in (500) Days of Summer (2009), the cancer patient in 50/50 (2011), or the naïve cop in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), his subtle charm and likable demeanor have fallen in line with the iconic average Joes of yesteryear. In the past decade alone, he’s gone from child star to indie A-lister (Brick [2005]) to big budget B-player (Inception [2010]), raking in critical acclaim and a rabid fan base of followers. But barring a few indie turns (Mysterious The Walk PosterSkin [2004], Looper [2012]), the actor had yet to break out of his nice guy box and grab mainstream cinema by the throat. That is, until now. Inhabiting high wire walker Philippe Petit, The Walk presents viewers with Gordon-Levitt: the charismatic outsider and spark plug showman. Baptism under wire, if you will.

Petit, a French street performer in the 1970s, developed a pipe dream that would put most showmen to shame – walking a tightrope between the Twin Towers. Sumptuously narrated by the actor’s accented glee, Philippe’s journey from disowned trickster to high wire prodigy is charmingly old school in its presentation. Director Robert Zemeckis’ Europe is a prettied up version of Federico Fellini’s La Strada (1954), and the vignette coloring of these sequences helps with the innocent romanticism that Petit lives by. Philippe is a dreamer, young at heart but matured in skill, and his persistence of will often carries moments that would elicit eye rolls in different context.

Zemeckis is no stranger to this persistent optimism. His lengthy career has been at it’s best when channeling old Hollywood adventure (Romancing The Stone [1984]), science fiction (Back To The Future [1985]), and Frank Capra-esque drama (Forrest Gump [1994]). Recent forays into heavier drama like 2012’s Flight made for a pretty joyless viewing, so it’s a relief to see the studio vet taking up a project in his creative wheelhouse. With the exception of Steven Spielberg (who’s also gotten drearier in the last decade), there isn’t a filmmaker better suited for this fairy tale true story. Especially once Petit arrives in 1974 New York, a magical recreation of the city that inspires as much awe as it does excitement.

At this point, The Walk turns from whimsical underdog story to sweaty palmed heist thriller. Philippe and company snap pictures of the uncompleted Towers, make connections on the inside, and orchestrate high wire attachments under the nose of building security. Firing on all performance cylinders, Gordon-Levitt is show stopping in the role. His boyish charm still shines through the accent and mop-top haircut, but the energy and commanding tone he radiates at all times is jarringly new. The viewer knows good and well that Petit will succeed in his stunt, but the actor’s impeccable empathy makes for a finale of intense proportions.

Stepping onto his wire (no one says “wire” quite like Petit) as the morning sun graces the sky, The Walk’s titular action arrives in all its stunning glory. Zemeckis is no stranger to visual effects, having made great use of them in the past, but even he outdoes himself here. Along with his lead actor, the director conducts a cinematic concert of dizzying heights, visual trickery, and triumph; aided by Petit’s poetic voiceover. Its Hollywood spectacle at it’s finest, but it also taps into a Zen-like calm that’s rarely captured on camera. No sex, violence, or betrayal – just a guy in pursuit of his dream. Petit, along with his conduit Joseph Gordon-Levitt, are proof that the human spirit can take us to amazing places. The Walk is proof that old-fashioned magic has a place in the modern movie age, especially if it’s crafted this immaculately.

Danilo Castro

Freelance writer with an affinity for all things film. But if it's not, that's okay too. Contributor to multiple publications and editor of the Film Noir Archive blog when he's not spending his time watching movies.
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