Movie #23- "Man on Wire" (2008)

When I was in college, I took a class in documentaries.  We looked at several of the earlier films of this genre, so I've seen "Triumph of the Will" more than once.  However, the documentary film was one that I never really held an interest in until the last couple years.  My wife is a fan of the form and as I've gotten older, I've started to take an interest.
"Man on Wire" is a fascinating story that combines different elements of storytelling.  The film focuses on Philippe Petit and his tightrope walking adventure between the World Trade Center's twin towers.  What Petit accomplished was an illegal act, yet you find yourself cheering him on.  His description of the act throughout the film is a mix of insanity, defiance, and poetry.  His obsession of this feat is amazing.  And while the other members of crew describe the events, it goes from documentary to a spy caper with the men sneaking into the buildings to set up this stunt.
I was surprised by the amount of footage and photos that were available leading up to the event.  Unfortunately, the film makers felt the need to fill in the gaps with reenactments, which knocked the rating down for me.  It is a little eerie looking back at these two prominent pieces of the New York skyline and an event that could never happen again.

Rating: 7/10
Movies I've previously seen: 2
First time viewings: 21