Man on Wire (2008) is probably the most highly regarded documentary of 2008. So you do not need me to tell you that it is good. So, while you watch Phillipe Petit prepare to walk between the World Trade Center towers on August 7, 1974, you might want to consider a few questions:
What is the most powerful moment in the movie? (I’d say: It’s not when he is on the wire; it’s when his friend and right-hand man says something “snapped” in their friendship.)
What do you think of the way Phillipe treats his girl friend? (I’d say: Shabby. As with so many driven people, Phillipe leaves people strewn in his wake.)
Could anyone else but the French have done this? (I’d say: I still call those little potato sticks French fries, not Liberty fries.)
Could a similar stunt have been pulled today? (I’d say: It was a kinder and gentler time, and it is good to be kinder, really, and it is good to gentler, really. I see—how many?—fighter planes strafing him off the wire in the name of—what is it?—national security.)
Would this documentary be as popular if it were not about the World Trade Center? (Nope.)
Is the theme of the movie right for you—the theme being that we must always dream big, follow that dream, and live on the edge to achieve it? (Not for me—but that doesn’t stop me appreciating an excellent story well told.)