The Walk

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, The Walk follows Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Philippe Petit as he prepares to perform a tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. It’s compelling subject matter that’s employed to erratic yet mostly engaging effect by Zemeckis, as the filmmaker, armed with his and Christopher Browne’s screenplay, delivers a far-from-streamlined drama that’s elevated by its performances and smattering of engrossing sequences – with, in terms of the former, Gordon-Levitt’s charming turn as the appealing protagonist perpetuating the picture’s consistently watchable atmosphere. (This is despite a wig or hairpiece that’s rarely, if ever, not completely distracting.) And while the movie admittedly does suffer from a handful of lulls, particularly within the immediate buildup to Petit’s perilous undertaking, The Walk, which boasts a seriously appealing midsection detailing Petit and co.’s heist-like attempts at preparing for the event, builds towards a satisfying climactic stretch that certainly exploits the film’s setup to engrossing (and eye-catching) effect – with the final result a stirring endeavor that probably should’ve topped out at around 100 minutes.

*** out of ****