Check Out This Flick: "Man On Wire"

OK......

It's Monday and I'm in the mood to share.

I just came across the trailer for a movie I had previously heard nothing about:

Man On Wire.

That in itself is not necessarily unique, but this film's subject matter truly is.

I will warn you ahead of time, this flick is a documentary.

Now hold on, don't write it off so quickly (I'm talkin' to my husband and daughter right there). From all that I've read (this morning, by the way), this is a documentary totally worth your time -- and effort.....ya see, ya gotta try to find a theater that is actually showing it.

Click here for the Man On Wire release schedule (dates & theaters)


Here's a little info on the flick, from the Man On Wire website:

On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman called Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire suspended between New York's twin towers, then the world’s tallest buildings. After an hour dancing on the wire, with no safety net or harness, he was arrested and thrown into an underground prison. Until that moment no one but Petit and his team of accomplices, who had spent months planning their illegal 'coup' (as they referred to it amongst themselves) knew anything about it.

Born out of a dream and an idea, Petit and his team of accomplices spent eight months planning the execution of their 'coup' in the most intricate detail. Like a team of professional bank robbers planning their most ambitious heist, the tasks they faced seemed virtually insurmountable: they would have to find a way to bypass the WTC's security; to smuggle the wire and rigging equipment into the towers; to suspend the wire between the two towers; to secure the wire at the correct tension to withstand the winds and the swaying of the buildings; to rig it secretly by night – all without being caught. Not to mention the walk itself...

Directed by James Marsh (The King, Wisconsin Death Trip), Man on Wire brings Petit's extraordinary adventure to life through the testimony of all the co-conspirators who created the single, beautiful spectacle that became known as "the artistic crime of the century".

OK.......sounds pretty cool to me.

Seriously?

This French guy walked on a tightrope wire between the Twin Towers in broad daylight....and no one saw him set it up? All the equipment, rigs, etc.? This guy is some serious crazy.....and I love it! I'm there, baby....with an extra large popcorn and a regular Coke.

Ya know, I think I vaguely remember this event.....but I was only 10 in 1974, and much more concerned with The Partridge Family, brushing my hair "just right"....and singing along to "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods.

So, this crazy wire-walking event is new to me.....and I am suddenly fascinated by it.

Small confession: As an adult, I've become somewhat "height-aversive" (is that a term?).....so watching parts of this flick is gonna be a challenge, but I really think this is one that must been seen in a theater. Somehow, I think sitting on my couch or lounging in bed, just won't have the same impact.

OK.....so how about watching the trailer below, and see if you think it looks as interesting as I do:




Hey....writer Christopher Campbell from Cinematical is definitely into this flick, in fact -- I first found out about Man on Wire from reading one of his posts this morning.

Campbell writes:

.....last week I went to see Man on Wire, and I wanted to immediately watch it again. Unlike 12 years ago, however, I don't have so much free time on my hands.

Still, I've been recommending the documentary, which is by far my favorite film of this year so far, to everyone I know (it opens wider this Friday, August 8. Go if you live near any of the cinemas showing it). And more than simply trying to send people to the theater to see it, I want to tag along, too. I'd love to see the look on my non-cinephile friends' faces when they first discover how entertaining it actually is (in theory, a documentary about a tightrope walker doesn't sound all that exciting).

Yep, reading that pretty much sold it for me.

So I found out that Man On Wire opens in a small theater near me on Friday, August 22nd. I'll probably try to attend that weekend (and drag the hub and kids).

I'm thinkin' I may have to bring along some Dramamine as well.

I'll let you know if it makes me any dizzier than usual.

Stay tuned.....