THE WALK MOVIE REVIEW

The Walk is a biography on one of the most pre-eminent wire walkers that the world has ever seen - Philippe Petit. This film talks about the notoriously spellbinding performance of his, which happened back in 1974. Though it is termed as a biopic, it is just breathtaking and spellbinding right from the outset.

It’s insanely addictive, even though the storyline is audaciously flimsy. You never, not even for a fraction of a second, feel it is sluggish. To attempt something like this and to package the product in such a fulfilling and entertaining way, is only possible by an impish narrative tactician like Robert Zemeckis. He may not be as popular as a Nolan or a Spielberg in India, but his works like the Back to the Future franchise, Cast Away, Forrest Gump or even Flight, for that matter, will stand eternal.

The attention span of modern day audience is as rickety as the wire that the hero walks in; it all depends on how the director handles it. To take a very feeble knot and to handle it so convincingly requires expert craftsmanship. The screenplay is airtight; it’s so intriguing, especially if you get absorbed by the beauty of it. Chiefly the final 30 minutes of the film are so unnerving, indelible, exhilarating and jaw-dropping. This segment guarantees you high voltage, nail biting, top notch entertainment.

Obviously the backbone of the film has to be its visual pyrotechnics, if not for its amazing CGI work, some unbelievable camera movements and adequate backing from the music department team, the film wouldn't have been what it is.

But not to take the lead for granted, Joseph Gordon-Levitt deserves a round of applause for his appealing performance. Since most of the film has been shot using the Chroma key compositing technique, he has faked a lot of expressions very convincingly. His Anglo-French accent is good and at times when he says wire walker, it kind of weirdly sounds like 'white walker'.

Today, we find an awful number of films made in 3D, most of which are done for commercial benefits, but if there is one film that deserves to be made in stereoscopic 3D it would be The Walk. Only a technology like 3D could facilitate the amazing visuals that the film contains.

On the whole, The Walk provides entertainment of the highest order with constant adrenaline pumping moments and it sure lives up to the ‘unlike anything you’ve seen before tag’ that it carries. Robert Zemeckis has added another priceless jewel to his crown.