February 18, 2009

James Marsh, Man on Wire (2008). 94 mins.
Nevermind, I had to get over a fear of heights just to watch this film. I got mild vertigo several times watching it just laying on the couch while making sure to keep at least one foot on the floor. But if the event the film documents isn't one of the heights of Art's accomplishments, then I'm entirely mistaken in my idea of art. This is a master stroke of high-wiring, and Philippe Petit took that art further than anyone thought it could go. It makes the whole avant / post-avant discussion seem stupid. He just went and did the most he could do with his medium by walking on a wire between the Twin Towers, and if that doesn't please on so many levels, your aesthetics just might be broken.