Wednesday, March 25, 2009

MAN ON WIRE










We watched this movie grudgingly; lots of people told us we would enjoy it. What they didn't say was how amazingly beautiful it was. Watching a man walk in the clouds took my breath away.

Much of it resembled a heist movie because extraordinary planning and the assembling of a team went into the feat. The footage from the era of the walk was just charming, reminding me of scenes from Elvira Madigan.
It would have been better to see this at a theater, but it's fine at home too. It may seem silly to want to walk on wire, but the passion that went into the feat propels it into the stratosphere of dreams.

12 comments:

Cullen Gallagher said...

I saw it in a theater and would have to agree that it belongs on a big screen. The feat is made all the more grandiose and incredible. Also, the main character's ego is also inflated on the big screen. When we got out of theater, the group was split as to what they thought of the main character. Half thought he was an ego-maniac with no consideration for his girlfriend or cohorts, while others thought he was a genius. I was with the first group, but regardless of whether i "liked" the guy or not, it was truly something extraordinary that he did.

Paul D Brazill said...

it's a joy.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
pattinase (abbott) said...

Thanks to Paul to the better picture.
I think it probably takes an egomaniac to do things like this because obviously the most important thing to him is to be watched in doing it.

Paul D Brazill said...

The Bydgoszcz picture is by Dariusz Arnold -theres a link on my blog.Cheers!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
George said...

Philippe Petit also did a walk over Niagara Falls which was a big sensation here. What possesses a person to engage in such risky behavior over and over again is baffling.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Wow. The first time we tried to go to Niagara Falls we couldn't find it. I kid you not. The next time, someone took us.

Charles Gramlich said...

Now that I no longer have an external mouse that works on my laptop, finding the link to click on for comments can be a long term relationship. Sounds like an interesting documentary. I saw some mention of this lately somewehre.

Gordon Harries said...

Charles: The director of this recently made one of the parts of 'The Red Riding Trilogy' based upon the British Noirist David Peace's 'Red Riding Quartet' (yes) and is scheduled for international release in the next few months.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Great news, Gordon. This time I'll catch in on the big screen. I hate movies on DVD. There I've said it.

Gordon Harries said...

There quite tough movies (as they are books) and tonally not dissimilar to ‘Michael Clayton’, but well worth seeing.

I think some films work better on DVD/TV than others (I love the most recent adaptation of ’End Of The Affair’, but it died on a cinema screen for me. Too epic, for a story about small lives.) but with other things it’s ludicrous to try and watch them on a TV, given that they’re not designed for that.

That said, I like bonus material quite a lot and just bought a new version of 'LA Confidential' for the extras!