“A man walks on a high-wire across the Twin Towers - and how he does it - is the grab-you-by-the-lapels premise from which James Marsh's "Man on Wire" erupts onscreen as one of the most wildly entertaining docs of recent years. This docu of daredevil Philippe Petit, who brought together a motley crew to help him realise his dream of crossing from the top of one tower to the other in 1974, is an adventure tale that astonishes in every respect. A double prize-winner at Sundance (jury and audience awards), the pic figures to balance considerable biz in theatrical and vid arenas.
Marsh cleverly inserts some re-staged material from the beginning moments that feel like the windup to a heist movie, but unlike many docs including freshly staged action, the line between new and archive is fairly invisible.
Marsh brilliantly matches his images to the hypnotic and propulsive music of English minimalist composer Michael Nyman, including pieces from Nyman's masterpiece, "La traversee de Paris," and his collaborations with Peter Greenaway. It's a sublime choice that lifts "Man On Wire" to rare movie-watching giddiness. Petit's final walk - seen here mainly in still photos - is stunning enough, but the aftermath is unexpectedly emotional and overwhelming as human drama. The immediate effect on Petit of sudden, post-WTC notoriety mixes erotic comedy and personal loss that seems possible to be conveyed by only the best screenwriters. Though funders Discovery Films and BBC no doubt have TV designs for the film, "Man On Wire" is bigscreen in every way.”
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