If Man on Wire were fiction it would be hailed as a terrific suspense film, a fascinating character study and an awesome spectacle. But it’s true, which makes it all the more remarkable.
Comment
08/22/08
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Man on Wire (2008)
100 %
Reviews Counted: 97 Fresh: 97 Rotten:0 Average Rating: 8.4/10
Consensus:
James Marsh's doc about artist Phililppe Petit's artful caper brings you every ounce of suspense that can be wrung from a man on a (suspended) wire.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Theatrical Release: Jul 25, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $1,125,349
Synopsis: James Marsh's dazzling, invigorating documentary MAN ON WIRE tells the story of a truly inspiring figure. In the early 1970s, a fiery young Frenchman named Philippe Petit wanted to shake up the world. When he saw the World Trade Center being built in New York City, he found his mission. Petit... [More]
Genre: Education/General Interest
Reviews
Man On Wire is an engrossing film that captures the imagination and never ceases to entertain.
08/22/08
We know it didn't end with Petit falling to his death, but darned if it isn't still compelling to see the caper laid out.
08/19/08
The story that looks back at the incident plays like a great caper film. The operation to get into the tower and string the wire was a combination of ingenuity, planning and exquisite timing since the top of the building was still a construction site.
08/18/08
Astonishing. Daring. Mind-boggling. Visually stunning. A true heart-stopper. And, oh yeah, the movie's pretty good, too.
08/15/08
Top Critic
A talking-heads documentary has no business working as a nerve-wracking thriller, but here we have Man on Wire....one of the most exciting movies to come out all year.
08/12/08
Petit himself is a bundle of energy, passion, and enthusiasm as he describes his dreams and the nuts and bolts details of achieving it. Marsh lets the story play out like a heist film.
08/12/08
One of the most amazing cinematic experiences and achievements in terms of recreating a single event in history in the most comprehensive way.
08/09/08
The man is clearly a nut, but he's also a great storyteller with a heck of a story, and Man on Wire gives him a chance to tell it.
08/09/08
It's a rare tale of dangerous obsession rapturously fulfilled, a reminder that even the most quixotic of undertakings can knock over a windmill now and then.
08/08/08
Top Critic
The word 'documentary' doesn't begin to do justice to [director] Marsh's achievement.
08/08/08
This movie about Petit's achievement is a gust of fresh air, offering the inner workings of a lark that put a man's life at risk -- and also made him immortal.
08/08/08
A documentary about a towering act of daring proves a spine-tingling memorial to recklessness as art.
08/08/08
Top Critic Top Critic
Man On Wire is surprising and entertaining, an unexpected adventure story for the modern world.
08/08/08
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Pictures
News
RT Interview: Philippe Petit on Crossing the Twin Towers on a Wire
posted by Joe Utichi August 04, 2008
On August 7th 1974, New Yorkers peered upwards into the gap between the World Trade Centre towers to watch Frenchman...
posted by Joe Utichi August 04, 2008
On August 7th 1974, New Yorkers peered upwards into the gap between the World Trade Centre towers to watch Frenchman...
Critics Consensus: File The X-Files Under "Disappointing"
posted by Tim Ryan July 24, 2008
This week at the movies, we learn that the truth is out there (The X-Files: I Want to Believe, starring David Duchovny and...
posted by Tim Ryan July 24, 2008
This week at the movies, we learn that the truth is out there (The X-Files: I Want to Believe, starring David Duchovny and...
Edinburgh 2008: What to Watch
posted by RT Staff July 01, 2008
We share twenty of the best films screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, currently running in the...
posted by RT Staff July 01, 2008
We share twenty of the best films screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, currently running in the...
L.A. Film Festival Honors Wackness, Man on Wire
posted by June 30, 2008
Jonathan Levine's "The Wackness" and James Marsh's "Man on a Wire" have taken the top audience awards at the Los Angeles...
posted by June 30, 2008
Jonathan Levine's "The Wackness" and James Marsh's "Man on a Wire" have taken the top audience awards at the Los Angeles...
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