Movie Review: The Walk…truly one to remember

The Walk, while very well directed, is much less a movie than it is an experience. As you watch through the opening and how the movie develops, you can’t help but feel that this is all just really a build up – fillers leading up to a grand finale that will simply take your breath away – and take your breath away it does.

While the 3D effect isn’t amplifed, The Walk is still very much an IMAX movie since the scale at which things are happening, you need to watch it on the largest screen possible. However, don’t go expecting things to pop out too often, or the feeling of vertigo due to the dizzying heights the camera pans through – and that is still very much okay because in hindsight I think too much 3D would’ve actually made the experience less surreal than it ends up being.

Though things tend to drag a bit in the second half with some scenes unnecessarily stretched to created some less needed tense moments, The Walk reserves its best act for the grand finale.
What you get to witness is sheer poetry in motion, a symphony at its most fundamental level - with a light smile playing about his lips in quiet pride, Phillipe pulls off the most extraordinary of artistic maneuvers ever. You might be a tad disappointed that it gets over all too soon, but Phillipe has more tricks up his sleeves so rest assured you’ll get more that your money’s worth.

Joseph Gordon Levitt probably pulls off his best performance till date fitting into the shoes of passionate artist Philippe with the ease of a veteran. He is truly, in spirit, Philippe himself as he overcomes various obstacles to pull off ‘The Coup’. What The Walk does particularly well, is bring out the soul of the artist, ably supported by Levitt’s performance. The Walk is a spectacle in itself and the movie is ambitious enough to stand its own. However, the way Zemeckis brings through the story, the fierce passion, the single mindedness of purpose for what is Philippe’s ‘dream’ is what really adds depth to what could’ve just been great visuals. Having Philippe narrate his own experience is a masterstroke and you get a true glimpse of the altogether different ‘level’ genius operates on.

That’s not to say that things are all too perfect. The background score for majority of the movie is light and comic, too often leaning towards a heist like tone – like you are watching Oceans 11 rather than The Walk. However, when it matters – during The Walk itself – the score also lifts things to another level. The real appreciation here though, is reserved for the director – who creates ‘moments’ that will stay with you long after you’ve left the movie – the visual depiction of clouding out everything else, the rope that creates itself in the mind of the artist, the way Philippe bows down to his audience and a few others shows just why Robert Zemeckis is such a great director. The cinematography is astounding in the finale and how they achieved what they did is a marvel in itself.

I wouldn’t classify the entire movie as a must watch. However, simply for the spell binding last half hour, The Walk gets elevated to heights (quite literally) none would’ve believed possible. For that alone, you have to witness this ‘coup’ at the largest screen and don’t be surprised when you look at tall buildings and your imagination starts playing tricks on you – such is the surreal experience you have with The Walk.