Latest Film Seen:

Man on Wire

Usually, when a film comes highly recommended by A. O. Scott, I know to stay as far away as humanly possible. But a weird thing happened. I watched this documentary, and thought it was the most delightful thing.

Now, you might not think the story of a Parisian street juggler would be that interesting. And in most cases, I would be tempted to agree with you, but this is no ordinary street juggler. Philippe Petit is a juggler, magician, and high wire walker with an odd sense of humor and a bizarrely happy accent. You might recall his memorable turn at the Oscars earlier this year, accepting his trophy with flair.

Check him out in this horrible resolution clip below. (The official Oscar people wouldn’t let me embed, as usual.)

But don’t let his inability to balance the Oscar on his chin fool you. This man is a talented artist who just happened to be a little… well… crazy, as the film so deftly showed.

Centered on Mr Petit’s dream of walking across a tight rope strung between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, this little documentary somehow managed to combine so many great things into one 90 minute package. You might almost mistake it for any engaging story about how if we try hard enough, anything is possible. Except this tale is real. Plus, because we see him narrating from the beginning, we need not fear that there will be a gruesome scene detailing exactly what happens when a human skull is accelerated by gravity for 100+ floors. Oddly, this doesn’t seem to take away from the suspense of the retelling. Complete with random nudity and a pretty soundtrack, what more do you want in a world of non-fiction?

Lots of happy smilies for this little film.