Grade: A
Man on Wire is without a doubt the best film of the year going unwatched. While unborn babies can already recite lines from The Dark Knight, this James Marsh masterpiece of a documentary has been left to the arthouses of America's cities. But for an hour less than TDK, you're going to get the same amount, if not more the suspense, the disappointment, and the glee. Sure, it's unfair to compare these drastically different films, but the only point I'm trying to make is that this film is a must-see, and is a guaranteed to leave you entertained.
The tagline reads like this: "1974. 1350 feet up. The artistic crime of the century." And honestly, that's all you really need to know. And through that tagline, Marsh and more importantly, our protagonist Philippe Petit relive and retell the beginnings, the struggles, and the stories to it's most detailed and wildly entertaining form. And from their memories forms a story that seems innate: it's the American dream to reach and conquer the impossible, or in this case, the World Trade Center.
You can say that this is one of the better post-9/11 pictures (next to 25th Hour), despite being a story of pre-9/11. By glorifying the towers and soon after, conquering the towers, the picture shows that the human spirit is in fact greater than those towers, that nothing could bring it or us down.
But if you receive none of these revelations, count on this: it's just flat out delightful. You'll find yourself squirming in your seat as our hero dances on a tightrope, sweat dripping down your palms while a Frenchman shows you how to be an American. All in all, Man on Wire is a wonderful work of art that shows not only the audacity and bravery of the American spirit, but the childlike beauty of the human spirit as well.
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