Two Cents is an original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team will program films and contribute our best, most insightful, or most creative thoughts on each film using a maximum of 200 words each. Guest writers and fan comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future entries to the column. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion.
The Pick
This week we take a look at James Marsh’s fascinating documentary Man On Wire, which tells the true story of highwire artist Philippe Petit and his peers on their unsanctioned quest for Philippe to perform on a wire between the two World Trade Center towers in New York City, which were at the time the tallest buildings in the world.
Did you get a chance to watch along with us this week? Want to recommend a great (or not so great) film for the whole gang to cover? Comment below or post on our Facebook or hit us up on Twitter!
Next Week’s Pick:
Recently our newsfeeds have been included casting rumblings about a Julia Louis-Dreyfus possibly joining a Force Majeure remake. What’s all the fuss about? Find out by watching the original Swedish film with us! Available on Netflix Instant.
Would you like to be a guest in next week’s Two Cents column? Simply watch and send your under-200-word review to twocents(at)cinapse.co!
The Team
Brendan:
Art transforms. The mundane becomes the fantastic, the everyday becomes the otherworldly. The familiar becomes the unfamiliar and the world is recreated through an off-kilter mirror. Part heist movie, part art exhibit, Man on Wire documents such a transformation, as a strange little Frenchman rallies a team of like-minded oddballs to captivate an entire city for one perfect moment.
The Twin Towers today can only be viewed as symbols of destruction and loss, but for 90 minutes, Man on Wire reclaims the spirit of human achievement and passion that the towers embodied before the events of 9/11. There is bitter reality lingering at the edge of the film at all times, but the stunning achievement pulled off by Petit in his friends manages to counter that harsh reality with transcendent beauty.
It helps that Man on Wire is a giddy pleasure from start to finish, using the impossible-to-mess-up heist-movie structure, all the while mirroring the personality of its subject with its manic energy and sense of invention. It’s a tremendous film, capturing a tremendous moment of art, and I hope the other Two Centers enjoyed it. (@TheTrueBrendanF)
If I die, what a beautiful death!
Austin:
At its best moments, Man On Wire is a tremendously engaging and entertaining account of the trials and adventures of pulling off a world-class stunt: a high-wire walk between the two World Trade Center buildings. While full of reenactments, photos, and interviews, the film is most compelling when showing off vintage footage of Philippe Petit’s highwire performances. Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot of this.
Unfortunately Petit himself is not as enjoyable as his acrobatic antics. While clearly passionate about his work, he also comes off as a blubbering narcissist and a bit of a jackass. If anything this element of his personality comes off even stronger on this, my second viewing. Still, despite his faults you’ve gotta respect the guy and I think he makes — and truly lives by — one incredibly important creed: Take risks and break the rules. (@VforVashaw)
Life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion: to refuse to tape yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge. Then you will live your life on the tightrope.
Our Guests
Justin Harlan:
I found the film to be a well made documentary about something that didn’t really interest me. Kinda like the opposite of Drew which wasn’t awfully well made but totally interested me because of the topic matter.
Growing up in Jersey with the skyline in view, I did feel nostalgia seeing the shots of the towers, but outside of the nostalgia and a couple great tunes on the soundtrack, the film wasn’t all that memorable.
In short, if I’m in the mood for a documentary at any point this week, I’ll just watch A Band Called Death for the 37th time. I doubt I’ll ever watch this one again. (@thepaintedman)
Filmcat:
Pretty much a relic of the pre-digital age. By modern standards, he should be able to do this sort of thing wirelessly by now. (Filmcat)
Did you all get a chance to watch along with us? Share your thoughts with us here in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook!
Originally published at old.cinapse.co on April 9, 2015.