Tightrope Thriller

Despite several attempts, my fellow New York lover and I were unable to coordinate to see Man on Wire. (It was also the one Tribeca movie I couldn't get into when I was working press and industry screenings, so I was extra excited to track it down when it opened in theaters in July.) I hope he sees it soon - it's still at the Sunshine - or perhaps when it comes out on DVD later this year. Even if you aren't a city person, Man on Wire is worth seeing simply for its quality.

For 94 minutes, the Twin Towers represent a thing of marvel rather than mourning in James Marsh’s exhilarating documentary, Man on Wire. On Aug. 7, 1974, wire walker Philippe Petit moved effortlessly on a steel cable, thousands of feet above ground, between the Towers for almost an hour. Marsh films mostly in suspense/heist style (think fake IDs, hiding under tarps for hours to avoid police detection), complemented by Michael Nyman’s score and actual footage of Petit’s feats. Marsh also features a lively collection of voices, from French companions to New Yorkers who liked to stir up trouble to, most notably, Petit himself, still elfin and charismatic at 59. Marsh never mentions 9/11, and he doesn’t have to: In Man on Wire, the folklore wins out.