Smile Politely. Speak Directly. A Champaign-Urbana Culture Blog

There is much more than meets the eye in James Marsh’s thrilling new documentary, Man on Wire. On the surface, the film appears to be a recounting of one of the most spectacular stunts of the 20th Century, as it documents Philippe Petit’s daring high wire walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in August of 1974. That feat and the daring, planning and luck that were required to pull it off bests any Hollywood caper film and it is all presented in intricate detail here. However, what makes the film sing is Petit himself who, through archival footage and recent interviews, recounts what the feat meant to him and his colleagues, all of whom were forever changed by this once in a lifetime act.