Robert Zemeckis has a talent for telling eccentric stories on a grand scale, be it Back to the Future, Forrest Gump or Castaway. Now he’s adapted Man on Wire, one of the finest documentaries in recent years, into The Walk.
Standing atop the Statue of Liberty's torch, our story begins with Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), reminiscing about his incredible experience atop the Twin Towers. Back in 1973, Philippe's livelihood rests on his ability to perform. His street act is filled with juggling, unicycles and of course, wire walking. A visit to the dentist's office however, give Philippe an idea for an incredible feat, a wire-walk between the two tallest buildings in the world (currently under construction).
After getting kicked out by his parents, he starts to practice at the Circus, where he falls under the watchful gaze of trainer Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley). Slowly Philippe forms a group of accomplices, starting with fellow performer, Annie (Charlotte Le Bon). The plan is in motion and they all travel to America, now all the group have to do is get to the top.
Considering the quality of the original documentary, it’s difficult to view The Walk as anything but unnecessary. It plays out as a heist film, similar to the re-enactments in Man on Wire, and plays up the theatrics well, with expectedly strong visuals from Dariusz Wolski. But the result is a hollow experience that doesn’t hold up to the whimsicality of Philippe Petit’s story. Zemeckis has bowed to peer pressure and favoured spectacle over story, and he’s done it with a film that should rely so strongly on the development and detail of the feat.
Perhaps worse than that though, was the decision to cast Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit. I think Levitt is an exceptionally strong actor and has clearly trained himself to capture the charismatic essence of Petit, but all the electrifying performances and outrageous French accents can’t change the fact that it’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a wig. At least I hope that’s a wig. He never really inhabits Philippe, instead he becomes more of a caricature of him.
The relationships between the characters also seem skewed, particularly toward the end with the way Phillipe, his girlfriend and his accomplices separated after the event, which is quite an emotional moment in the documentary. Historical accuracy always seems to be an issue with biopics, but here it's less the about inaccuracies and more about the lack of connection to the people that was so well established through the interviews and depictions in Man on Wire. I can't help but feel that perhaps this film would have been in better hands with a French production house like Studio Canal rather than Tristar, or better yet just not made at all.
If you're recounting events and depicting real people then spectacle needs to be firmed up with half-decent story-telling, and unfortunately Zemeckis only achieves the spectacle. Man on Wire is the only way to go for Petit's story.
