As you may know, I never read these review threads before seeing a movie, but I did see loyal raving about this movie in another thread about the best doc this year. At that time, I was thinking to myself "Heh. Nothing could beat Encounters At The End Of The World! Herzog's just too freakin' out there... out there.".

But now I've done gone and seen Man On Wire.

First off, I have made a conscious effort to discount any 9/11 sheen from this product. I want to see it "as is". And here, I once again remembered loyal's endorsement, and I thought to myself, "Hey! That dude wasn't swayed by the rabid nationalism on display in U93. He kept his head on his shoulders despite the shit storm of hyperpropoganda at the time of it's release.". So I was ready to weather that same storm while screening MOW - - but wouldn't ya know it? I was swept up in it's messages such as:

"Each day is like a work of art to him."

"We thought it. (But we didn't believe it.)"

"I needed to be a castaway on the island of my dreams."

"I will just fall to another life..."

Etc, etc, etc...

This is a very fine film. It is a loving message of hope to individuals that they can live their visions if they have the heart to implement them now. This film is life. Captured in a series of very cool archival photos and footage and modern day interviews with the perps themselves, it is an absolute paean to simply going for it...

So, yeah - - loyal was absolutely right about this one. It's a fantastic doc, and easily to be considered amongst the best of 2008. Despite how it seems oft perceived around here, I really do respect loyal's opinion. If he wasn't occasionally such a blowhard about tooting his own horn, I'd probably be a loyalfanboy. And even as it is, I gotta give hime full props for callin' this one...

Man On Wire is a special, special, special film. It is a rare glimpse into heroic stealth in the cause of non-destructive law breaking. It is the vision of a man and his vision. It is Man On Wire.

84 out of 5.

I'll join the chorus of praise. This unholy union of traditional documentary and Hollywood-popcorn-film technique is alarmingly suspenseful and fun. An absolute blast.

Man.. I really want to see this

Saw it last night despite being extremely tired and under the weather. Usually in that state i'd doze off but Man on Wire was just too gripping to miss any second of.

Whats most amazing is that the doco works on so many levels. Its thrilling, visually stunning, funny and most importantly inspirational. The characters are so oddball and even describe each other as such and the film presents them this way. The climax is quite stunning. You cant help but smile when you get the pay off.

Inspirational indeed. I still cant believe he did it and if he could do something like that it just makes you think what we can achieve with less dizzying goals. It also depicts single minded obsession as good as any film Ive seen (similar to Zodiac) and touches (but doesnt dwell) on the downside of reaching his goal and its effect on everyone involved.

I did kind of expect 911 to come into it at the end and glad it didnt. But you cant help think about it early in the film.

Possibly the best film of the year.

Oh and I love how the title of the film is derived. Nice touch.

I'll buy it.

Bloody brilliant. Worth getting

Man on Wire is what all films should strive to be ... documentary or otherwise.

A+

WooHoo, I knew I'd love it.

Wait, I thought you were you and... now I'm confused about The Dark Knight / Loyalfromlondon. Can someone explain?


OMG I really want to see this movie. Anyone know when it comes out on DVD? I have to see it.

Docs aren't really my thing, but this is undoubtably one of the very best, if not the best (it's probably between this and Grizzly Man) I've seen from the medium. In a sense it almost embraces being a "regular film" as much as a doc, telling a fluent heist story from beginning to end, full of colorful characters and moments. The mix of the footage, reenactments, interviews, and music is amazing.. I'll never understand why docs aren't really considered in the Best Editing category at the Oscars, this deserves to win it more than anything that will come out this year. In particular I'm shocked at how well the real footage came out... it feels as if it could've been filmed for the movie... so, so beautiful. I also love the message... live on the wire... go all out... no fear.

So yeah... add me to the fanclub.

4.5/5

^ What they say.

Best film of the year. The most inspiring film I've ever seen. I'm thrilled in every second of it, to the level that it actually made me cry. That feeling, the feeling when you witness something incredibly amazing and bring you the teary eyes. I usually don't like the using of staged footage in a documentary (what's the word? 'reenactment'?). But in 'Man On Wire', it was perfectly blended with the overall film. Absolutely, amazingly edited. I dare anyone here to watch this film and try your best to not like it. A

Yeah, this is totally brill.

I won't repeat everything that's already been said, but I just want to say that my favourite parts, far and away, are the beautiful, expressive, black-and-white re-enactments. It's perhaps not in line with traditional, archaic notions of documentary, and yet it fits the film perfectly. Simply stunning.

But yeah, everything about this film just works and works exceptionally well. A terrific film and one of the best of the year, documentary or not.

6/10 -> C

As far as the filmmaking goes - Man on Wire is awesome. The editing, the reenactments, the pictures, the way vintage scnenes were put in. It's really good.

It also feels much more as a movie than as a documentary. If I didn't know what Man on Wire was about before I stared to watch it, after the first scene I would've thought it was a docu about some heist.

My main problem with this movie is Phillippe himself. He comes off as a very arrogant person. Everytime he was on I wanted to take the wire and strangle him. I can't remember when was the last time I felt such an awful smugness from someone. During the whole docu I was wondering what the hell people around him saw that was worth sticking with him. So the ending where they all said they were friends no more came as no surprise. I hated him so much, that my enjoyment of his accomplishments and the docu itself was diminished a lot.

And his accomplishments are nice. Those shots were beautiful and it really gives you some weird sense of equanimity. It's a pity he's such an enormous prick.

I was laughing hard at his stories. The way he was telling them was preposterous enough. But the parts where the guard was supposedly looking at them and they were pulling front and back with the wire in front of him - oh please. Too much Tom & Jerry maybe? And how he was "playing hide & seek" with the guard around the post. The whole event played out too much convienently scripted for it to be real. I could only believe that they came into the WTC and he walked on the wire. Everything in between is hard to believe.

Blasphemy!

HA!

You gave it a C because you thought Petit was annoying?

That's a fucking terrible way to grade a film.

That was one of the reasons. And it's a legitimate reason. I can't give a grade based solely on technical side of the movie or whatever you're grading on. I take everything into account.

be.redy is just like those guys who assumes wrestling is easy.

Word of advice, I can play football but im not ronaldo. Thats how this is.

Isn't he... exactly one of those guys?

Yep: http://www.worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=47069

Your opinion is completely acceptable, be.redy.

But IMHO..



Is that a bad thing? I don't know, dude. In my point of view, a documentary IS a movie. There's a story (plot line) in both. They both feature the character(s). The only difference is that the story in documentary is non-fiction.



IMHO, if Petit came out as a calm / soft speaking character, that would sound more scripted. A guy who crossed a twin towers on single wire. Clearly, he's not just your average guy.

And I don't get it why you kept calling him 'arrogant', 'smug'. Did I miss something?

It's not necessarily a bad thing (it's a good thing actually and I never said my problem lies there - just the opposite that's one of the things I very much liked the sense of watching something that felt like happening for the first time in front of my eyes, rather than just listening to boring sum of facts like in most docus).

But as I said the whole way it played out feels too convenient and a bit scripted for your a docu. Sneezing in dentist's office while ripping off the page? Yeah like I'm gonna believe that. And farfetched moments don't end at the start. They just keep on coming. Now I can believe that some of them happened, but whenever Petit was talking I had a feeling that if this was made a few years laters, more "slapstick" moments like the ones I mentioned would suddenly have happened.

Also I hated Petit as I said. The way he talks, the way he acts. It's disgusting. It's a personal feeling I got. Certainly he's not your average guy, but there are two spectrums of not being your average guy - the guy who's awesomely superly great and the one who's awful arrogant selfabsorbed ass. For me Petit falls into the latter category.

I don't see what's the problem with my review. Just because everyone thinks it's a pitch perfect movie and is delighted with it, doesn't mean I have too. I gave my reasons why I don't like this movie and they're all legitimate, even if they're based mostly on my feelings (duh, everyone gives subjective grades, hardly anyone can think of themselves as the epitome of objective and attack others). We may comment on my reasons why and agree to disagree but Gulli your reply was completely unnecesary. Especially when you apparently can't even comprehend what I write. I never dissed wrestling per se (do I think it's easier than most of the other sports - yes, but do I think it's completely lame - no), just your remark. With enough practice anyone can make wrestling moves look good at least (dear God, Keira played football - give Rourke a benefit of the doubt). But that's a completely diferent matter.

I my defence I was realllllly drunk when I wrote that be.redy. Still thou I apologize was not cool of me.

I really want to see this film....but I doubt it'll get here anytime soon.