The Walk

A solid biopic about a man who was not afraid to take risks and push the limits of his abilities to achieve the almost impossible, thus fulfilling a long-held dream. The film has plenty of breathtaking and spacey scenes, making it an unforgettable experience in a 3D cinema screening. The cast was likable (especially Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Charlotte Le Bon), the script was laced with a bit of with and humor, and the plot so I never got bored. In short, a film that's definitely worth watching in the cinema just for the feeling of being high and free in the clouds. (07/04/2016)

A stunning digifest with a beating heart that only Robert Zemeckis could have given it. A celebration of enthusiasm, determination and courage. A tribute to the Twin Towers. Lovely French charm. After a long time, Alan Silvestri’s soundtrack soothes the ear. A nice role for Gordon-Levitt. (10/07/2015)

In Rush, it doesn't really matter which character you sympathise with, because you understand the attitudes, opinions and motivations of both, they just take different paths. With Man on a Rope, you sympathise with no one, or rather you don't understand the motivations of the main or secondary characters (comparissons are warranted given the strong will of the protagonists to prove "something" at any cost). Thus, the viewer cannot get into them and finds them completely flat and uninteresting. With the film's concept and cheap means of expression (for today's times), Robert Zemeckis is stuck somewhere 20 years back, only he didn't understand that times are moving inexorably forward and there have been plenty of attempts like this, though in a less visually sophisticated way. So much untapped acting potential (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley), and so many unnecessarily obvious screenwriting crutches and underdevelopment – the biggest failure of A-list Hollywood this year. Forrest Gump was heartfelt, this may be just about heartfelt for the Yanks, but for the normally minded viewer it's just a showcase for effects masters. Otherwise it's a load of bullshit, unnecessary tears and pathos. (10/10/2015)

Paradoxically, Zemeckis exaggerates it with that elegance on a rope. Petit's high jinks are staged openly as a theater / myth - the protagonist's personality is a stepping stone to an eccentric expedition to a place where there is no death, only "splendor" and everything is dominated by the avantgarde pose of the artist as an acrobat, a man who is not afraid of the abyss, because death is only about not inviting the depths to a duel. It's simple and naive, but in defense of the film, let it be said that this is exactly what it is aiming to be. The regression into Petit's childhood is Burtonian poetic (and unfortunately quite exaggerated), the very performance of the magnificent "coup" is again stylized as an exuberant and exciting heist. Apart from Gravity, the moments on the rope are quite possibly the most significant thing you will experience at IMAX. Unfortunately, in time, everything else is flat, very flowery, and emotionally completely barren. The only perception that really exists in this film is the dizzying depth underfoot. Everything else is just an epic narrated shallowness, streams of lightly spoken words of the exhibiting principal (Robert and Joseph), their funny exuberant "accent", which unfortunately do not help the drama very much.*** 1/2. P.S. I'm looking forward to the analyses of the neo-formalist wing - the film seems to really want it. (09/29/2015)

It's like I went back in time fifteen years. Robert Zemeckis tells the extraordinary story of an ordinary dreamer at his usual unpretentious pace, leading the main character to a breathtaking catharsis in the final moments. And yet it doesn't reach the quality of the similar Cast Away and Contact, mainly because this is exactly what I expect from him, and therefore the surprising or even seat-raising moment is missing. On the other hand, The Walk referenced in the movie's title is arresting, and shows in full force what could be sensed from the beginning: that Philippe Petit is not at all petite as artists go, but more with the heart of Le Petit Prince, far above us in his head and desires – in the heights that remain forbidden to mere mortals like us. (10/08/2015)