The Walk

I have had cocktails on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center. I have met Phillippe Petit. I think of the man outside the building at dizzying heights and I shudder. This is the reason I could not watch the documentary Man On Wire at the film festival where I met this charming man. He convinced me that I could handle the movie and encouraged me to watch. Years later, when I saw the first trailers for The Walk, Robert Zemeckis' version of this lunatic feat, all I could do is smile. The bonus? It would be in IMAX 3D. They were going to put the audience on the wire as well. I was thrilled! I am fascinated with this story for the obvious reason of the magnitude of the accomplishment of a man walking a high wire strung between the two towers of the World Trade Centers. The other is the time capsule of watching how easy it was to move around the world back in the mid-70s. Though the narration from the top of the Statue of Liberty was a but cheesy, it grounded you back to lower Manhattan in the midst of the caper. I had heard that there was a touching ending, but was not quite prepared for my reaction. I had to sit in the theater for a while after the film to pull myself together. I loved this film. I loved the effects. I loved the spirit. Merci Monsieur Petit, Monsieur Gordan-Levitt et Monsieur Zemeckis. Well done.

Gravity

As I've said, I grew up on the 60s. Everything the space program did was on broadcast television. When they would air space-walks, I was terrified for the astronauts. What if their tether broke? What if they ran out of oxygen? What if their suit had a leak? Space scared me. When the trailer for Gravity came out, all I could think was, "oh God, my worst nightmare is now on film." As the glowing reviews started rolling in, I knew I would have to see it. Then they put it in the IMAX format. Shit. Wisely, I got my teenage nephews to accompany me. The film is intense, immersive and terrifying. I loved it. I was happy to have company on the ride home. We talked the movie out, and I love how smart my nephews are about film and science. If you can, see Gravity in IMAX 3D, as it was meant to be. Gorgeous and terrifying. Well done.

The Dark Knight revisited in IMAX

I finally went to see The Dark Knight in IMAX today and was not disappointed. The look and style of the film is so conducive to the huge screen. The scenes that were shot with IMAX cameras were obvious, and gave me that roller coaster feeling in my stomach that was missing in the traditional format. This film holds up well to multiple viewings. I saw things more clearly this round, and I don't seem to be able to get enough of Ledger's performance, truly brilliant. I'd see it again. If you have the chance, I recommend seeing this in IMAX for the full Dark Knight experience. I'm glad I did.