[A] breathtaking documentary about that mad-genius coup achieved over three decades ago.
Comment
07/24/08
Man On Wire (2008)
100
%
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Reviews Counted:141
Fresh:141
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8.4/10
Consensus: James Marsh's doc about artist Phililppe Petit's artful caper brings you every ounce of suspense that can be wrung from a man on a (suspended) wire.
Theatrical Release:01-08-2008
Synopsis: James Marsh's dazzling, invigorating documentary MAN ON WIRE tells the story of a truly inspiring figure. In the early 1970s, a fiery young Frenchman named Philippe Petit wanted to shake up the... [More]
Director: James Marsh
Reviews for Man On Wire
What ultimately reverberates is [the film's] potent central association between Petit's endeavor and the Twin Towers' erection.
07/24/08
Armed with the standard operating tools of documentary filmmaking, James Marsh leads audiences through Petit & Co.’s preparation and execution of this incredible feat of performance art.
07/24/08
As the film traces how he plotted his Word Trade Center walk, it starts to feel almost like a heist movie, as Mr. Petit and his cronies map out each minute detail over the course of month.
07/23/08
Marsh’s film may not probe very deeply into Petit’s character, or try to conjecture what his accomplishment means in a post-9/11 environment, but it does make for a wonderful caper, which is exactly how Petit envisioned it.
07/23/08
Builds a remarkable degree of suspense...and along the way it manages a good deal of humor and charm as well.
07/23/08
Part caper movie, part real-life superhero saga, and entirely engrossing.
07/23/08
An exhilarating film for the ages not to be missed, either for its enlightening peek inside the elite mind of an extraordinary individual or for its ethereal tribute to the Twin Towers.
07/22/08
Man on Wire becomes a thrilling study in contrast, succeeding not only at extolling Philippe's superhuman performance but attesting to the achievements of those who similarly defied death to give the man the stage he walked on.
07/21/08
A riveting portrait of the unusually obsessed, gifted, charismatic and downright gutsy Petit.
07/14/08
Acrophobics beware: just watching Philippe Petit walk across Twin Towers will make you dizzy.
07/02/08
A giddy dream, a suspenser, a harrowing surreal comedy of the possible--like Dog Day Afternoon told by Amelie.
07/02/08
Even if what the very idea of such a stunt gives you is a knot in your stomach rather than a lump in your throat, Man on Wire is pure delight.
06/24/08
Context is crucial for this stranger than fiction docu: It's impossiblle to watch Marsh's exciting chronicle of a unique adventure in the summer of 1974 without thinking of 9/11 and its aftermath.
06/21/08
No amount of description can transmit the passion and joy in this wonderful picture, assisted by a lyrical musical score by composer Michael Myman. See this movie.
06/14/08
In a city synonymous with hustle and bustle, the image of a stony-faced Frenchman gracefully dancing across a wire suspended between the Twin Towers, with no safety net or harness, is an overwhelmingly beauteous juxtaposition.
05/05/08
Delightful and finally transcendent documentary.
05/05/08
A great example of truth being better than fiction---a combination of "Mission Impossible", Billy Wilder's "Spirit of St. Louis" and Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times."
05/03/08
A surprisingly entertaining, poignant documentary about the most notorious high-wire walk ever.
05/02/08
Top CriticMan on Wire is thrilling in a way few documentaries about such a light subject ever get to be.
04/27/08
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