The Walk, the 2015 film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer, Don John), put director Robert Zemeckis back into the driver seat of the unique, quirky, character-driven drams that he is best known for. While he can do the heavier dramas quite effectively (Flight, Cast Away, Contact), we remember him less for these movies than some of his other movies. Known for his ability to incorporate technology while still telling emotional stories, The Walk does just that. After looking at his filmography, this appears to be the first movie Zemeckis has ever directed based on a true story. He does a good job. While The Walk is not one of the 20 best movies of 2015, it is entertaining, and there will be many more people who leave the movie liking it than disliking it.

I’d give this movie a B-. The Rotten Tomatoes critics’ aggregate is a little higher at 85%, while the audiences’ score is 80%. The Walk feels like one of those fun bank heist movies. It’s got the feel of Oceans 11, a movie where the protagonists are criminals attempting to do something very illegal but, at the same time, never hurting anyone. The Walk is smartly written (though not as smartly written as the clever Oceans 11). The movie’s success doesn’t have to do with the directing of Zemeckis as much as it has to do with the outstanding cinematography and the acting (in particular Gordon-Levitt). The film is breathtaking from a visual standpoint, while Gordon-Levitt continues to show us that he is one of the finest actors of his generation. As of 2015, Gordon-Levitt is probably the most talented actor under 45 who has yet to be nominated for an Academy Award. That will eventually change, although it may be later than sooner as he doesn’t seem to be in a rush to make movies these days.

Gordon-Levitt plays Philippe Petit, a French aerialist who dreamed, planned, and executed a high-wire walk between the World Trade Center buildings. Thousands witnessed the event on the streets of New York City on August 7, 1974. The story is told from Petit’s narration. Gordon-Levitt appears at the movie’s start on top of the Statue of Liberty, with the Twin Towers proudly displayed in the background. We periodically return to this scene at various points in the film.

Petit was a carefree, life-loving individual who lived on the wild side. While his stunts are funny and entertaining at first, his ideas to impress others become more and more extreme. The more often he hears no, the more he wants to prove his naysayers wrong. When he hitches the idea of walking between the two majestic buildings in New York City, he cannot leave his native Paris soon enough. And from the character development standpoint, Zemeckis and Gordon-Levitt expertly craft Petit’s descent into what many would call madness. As each obstacle puts further in doubt the ability to pull off this stunt, Petit seems unwilling to listen to anybody who advises him that it might not be the best idea to do what he’s doing when he wants to do it. This includes his girlfriend Annie (Charlotte Le Bon – The Hundred-Foot Journey, Bastille Day), a street performer he meets in Paris, and the makeshift crew he meets in Europe and the United States. Petit is only willing to listen to the people who tell him yes. Though he teeters on the verge of madness, he’s a likable guy who relies on his persuasion skills to get what he wants.

I admit that I had no interest in seeing this movie initially. It didn’t help that Gordon-Levitt’s accent in the trailers sounded kind of corny. More importantly, though, I knew the story because of the documentary Man on a Wire. So I wondered what Zemeckis could do to keep me interested for two hours. Well, he, Gordon-Levitt, and the rest of the cast and crew did that and then some. While I didn’t love this movie, it kept me engaged the entire time. I wish I had seen this in the theater so I could have watched it in 3-D and experienced the visuals for which they were designed. As a guy who is afraid of heights and a person who knew that Petit wasn’t going to fall, I still felt butterflies in my stomach as he walked on that thin wire from such a high elevation. I can only imagine what the breaking of the cable strings, the movement of the balance pole, and the hair blowing in the wind would have felt like with that added dimension. Nonetheless, the visuals were incredible, and it did feel like we were up there with Petit, experiencing all that he was experiencing.

The score was fantastic. Combinations of horns, string, and percussion instruments seemed to accompany each scene as if they were another character. In some of the more light-hearted scenes, the score was loose and almost comical, whereas, in the heavier ones, the music became louder, faster, and tighter, building tension. Is it a score you’ll remember after watching the movie? It does play a big part throughout the two-hour timeframe.

I didn’t love this movie, but it was entertaining. Gordon-Levitt continues to showcase his breadth as an actor. The Walk was not my favorite role of his, but it is one that you’ll remember. The Walk is a fun little film that doesn’t require you to strain your brain trying to keep up with its plot. It’s rated PG. Kids could watch this movie though I don’t think it would entertain them. It’s a light-hearted approach to the story, and it’s appropriate for kids, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a movie a kid would like. I’d probably hate this movie if I had watched it before I turned 25.

Plot 7.5/10
Character Development 8/10
Character Chemistry 7.5/10
Acting 7.5/10
Screenplay 8.5/10
Directing  8.5/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 9/10
Hook and Reel 8/10
Universal Relevance 8/10
82.5%

• Trumbo
• Wild
• First Man
• Don Jon
• All Is Lost