The Walk
Sony Pictures
Rated PG for mature themes, peril, brief nudity, drug references, smoking and mild epithets
High-Wire Drama Recreates French Daredevil’s Stroll Between The Twin Towers
In 1968, Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a struggling juggler, mime, magician and trapeze artist, decided to elevate his game, literally, by stringing his tightrope between the tops of the Twin Towers. The World Trade Center was yet to be erected, which gave the Parisian street performer a half-dozen years to plan and practice for his death-defying feat.
Finally, on the morning of August 7, 1974, he pulled off the eye-popping stunt with the help of a few friends sworn to secrecy. They’d agreed to help rig the high wire, despite breaking the law in the process.
You see, Philippe hadn’t bothered to ask the authorities for permission, figuring it’d never be approved. And for 40 minutes, he put on a heart-stopping show, during which he danced a jig, saluted the crowd below and even lay down on the wire to take a brief rest.
Written and directed by Oscar-winner Bob Zemeckis (for Forrest Gump), The Walk recounts the events surrounding Philippe’s bold and historic stroll. However, the film takes a few liberties with the facts along the way, ostensibly in deference to the demand for the sort of romance and tension found in the typical Hollywood drama.
Consequently, Philippe has a hand-wringing love interest here, Annie (Charlotte Le Bon), as well as several close calls while hovering a quarter-mile above the ground between skyscrapers. In reality, the relationship wasn’t very serious and the only time he feared for his life was when he fell down a flight of stairs while being manhandled by the cops who’d just arrested him.
If you’re interested in an accurate, if less sensational version of events, check out Man On Wire which won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Documentary. But if all you care about is production values, stick with this hyperactive, special f/x-driven affair guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat until Philippe plants his feet back on solid earth.
A heart-stopping spectacular which plays fast and loose with the truth in the interest of overstimulating entertainment.
Good (2 stars)
Running time: 123 minutes
(T)error
The Film Collaborative
Unrated
Guilt-Ridden FBI Informant Admits To Overzealous Prosecution Of Muslims In Eye-Opening Exposé
It’s no surprise that government surveillance of Muslims has intensified since 9/11. That scrutiny has paid off, as it seems like once a month or so, we hear about how another terrorist plot has been thwarted by authorities just before it was about to be hatched.
However, upon closer scrutiny, it actually turns out that the FBI might just be setting traps for dummies who really have neither the desire nor the wherewithal to mount an attack. According to this incendiary investigation, the Bureau has basically been manufacturing homegrown jihadis by supplying the bombs and looking for gullible marks willing to say they’d light the fuse. And once they answer “yes” to an agent posing as a radical Islamist, off they go to a federal penitentiary for a very long stretch.
Granted, no one wants to see any ISIS-inspired mayhem occur on American soil. But by the same token, there is a legitimate question to be asked as to what lengths an undercover operative ought to go to determine whether a Muslim might be inclined to commit mass murder in the name of Allah.
That is the subject of (T)error, an eye-opening exposé co-directed by Lyric Cabral and David Sutcliffe. The documentary zeroes-in on the exploits of Saeed “Shariff” Torres, a Black Panther-turned-police snitch who received a six-figure salary to infiltrate mosques and snitch on fellow Muslims.
Shariff has a great track record, having helped convict eight religious extremists. His most notorious case was against Tarik Shah, a famous jazz bassist who played with everybody from Betty Carter to Pharoah to Ahmad Jamal. Well, Shariff befriended the cash-strapped musician, first taking bass lessons from him, and then offering him a big payday for participating in a conspiracy.
I know what you’re thinking, why feel sorry for anyone who’d even think of siding with the enemy? Still, there is something unsettling about overbearing Shariff’s way of pressuring his targets after gaining their confidence. Plus, he never had to testify in court against them, except in the case against the last fanatic he fingered. That would be Khalifah Al-Akili, a devout, mild-mannered Muslim with a wife and young child.
The FBI relocated Shariff from New York to Pittsburgh so he could ingratiate himself with the Muslim community, in general, and with Khalifah, specifically. For the next couple of years, Shariff tried to induce him to join a terrorist cell.
But that proved to be an exercise in futility since the man clearly had no radical tendencies. In fact, Khalifah suspected Shariff of trying to entrap him and even begged to just be left alone. Nevertheless, the FBI was hellbent on nailing him for something, and he was ultimately convicted on a lame weapons charge after he fired an unregistered rifle on a gun range.
Now 63, in failing health, and consumed with overwhelming regret, Shariff belatedly feels used. Of ruining Khalifah’s life, he says, “He’s not a terrorist. He’s not even a pseudo-terrorist.” Forget a bomb, “He wouldn’t throw rice at a wedding.” Shariff further laments the fact that a fatwa was placed on his head after his role in putting so many Muslims behind bars came to light.
The domestic War on Terror uncovered as an overzealous violation of Muslims’ Constitutional rights.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Running time: 93 minutes
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam’s Kapsules:
For movies opening October 23, 2015
Jem And The Holograms (PG for mature themes, reckless behavior, mild epithets and suggestive content) Live-action adaptation of the animated TV series starring Aubrey Peeples as the lead singer of an all-girl rock group with an underground cult following which morphs into a worldwide sensation. With Molly Ringwald, Juliette Lewis, Stefanie Scott and Aurora Perrineau.
The Last Witch Hunter (PG-13 for violence and frightening images) Action-oriented fantasy revolving around a valiant warrior (Vin Diesel) representing the last hope for humanity in an epic showdown with a reincarnated demon (Julie Engelbrecht). Supporting cast includes Elijah Wood, Rose Leslie and Michael Caine.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (R for violence and profanity) Sixth and final installment of the found footage horror franchise featuring supernatural phenomena around the haunted house in Palo Alto just moved into by a married couple (Chris J. Murray and Brit Shaw) with of a young son (Dan Gill) and daughter (Ivy George). With Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown and Hallie Foote.
Rock The Kasbah (R for profanity, drug use, sexual references and brief violence) Musical comedy about a broke rock producer (Bill Murray) who helps an Afghani teenager (Leem Lubany) compete on her country’s reality-TV version of American Idol after he finds himself stranded in Kabul. Featuring Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Danny McBride and Scott Caan.
Steve Jobs (R for profanity) Michael Fassbender portrays the late Apple founder in this warts-and-all biopic spanning the critical period from 1984 to 1998 and highlighting the Machiavellian CEO’s drive to gain the competitive edge in technological innovation. Cast includes Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Suffragette (PG-13 for intense violence, mature themes, brief profanity and partial nudity) Historical drrama, set in England, chronicling the selfless fight for women’s equality staged by feminists at the dawn of the 20th century. Co-starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep.
Burnt (Unrated) Culinary dramedy about a disgraced Parisian chef’s (Bradley Cooper) attempt to restore his reputation in London with the help of an attractive assistant-turned-love interest (Sienna Miller). With Omar Sy, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson and Alicia Vikander.
Difret (Unrated) Women’s rights drama, set in Ethiopia, revolving around a 14-year-old girl (Tizita Hagere) on trial for the murder of the man (Girma Teshome) who’d kidnapped and raped her with the intent of turning her into his child bride. Co-starring Meron Getnet, Abel Abebe and Shitaye Abraha. (In Amharic)
Extraordinary Tales (Unrated) Animated adaptation of five short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, including “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar,” and “The Masque of the Red Death.” Voice cast includes Christopher Lee, Guillermo del Toro and Roger Corman.
Heart Of A Dog (Unrated) Performance artist Laurie Anderson wrote, directed, produced, filmed, scored, animated and stars in this introspective auto-biopic reflecting upon the deaths of her mother, dog and husband, Lou Reed.
I Smile Back (R for profanity, substance abuse, disturbing behavior and graphic sexuality) Dysfunctional family drama revolving around a New Jersey housewife’s (Sarah Silverman) quest for redemption following a self-destructive descent into depravity marked by addiction, promiscuity and child abuse. With Josh Charles, Skylar Gaertner and Shayne Coleman.
India’s Daughter (Unrated) Women’s rights documentary recounting the events surrounding the murder of Jyoti Singh, the 23-year-old medical student gang-raped on a moving bus in Delhi in December of 2012. (In English and Hindi with subtitles)
The Looking Glass (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama about a recently-orphaned 13-year-old (Grace Tarnow) forced by circumstances to move to Indiana to live with a grandmother (Dorothy Tristan) suffering from Alzheimer’s. With Trish Basinger, Ed Ernstes and Elizabeth Stenholt.
Nasty Baby (R for sexuality, profanity, drug use, graphic nudity and disturbing violence) Homoerotic drama, set in Brooklyn, about a gay couple (Sebastian Sliva and Tunde Adebimpe) that enlists the help of their best friend (Kristen Wiig) in their attempt to have a baby. Support cast includes Alia Shawkat, Mark Margolis and Reg E. Cathey. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)
