c) 2008 Jean-Louis Blondeau / Polaris Images.
James Marsh’s crowd-pleasing documentary skips past 9/11, time-traveling to a halcyon historic moment at the World Trade Center: the occasion in 1974 when French high-wire artist Philippe Petit attempted to walk on a wire between the Twin Towers — 1350 windy feet up. Interviewed today, Petit is a whale of a storyteller, and he recalls with relish the chilling details of that amazing day. His little venture was not only death-defying but highly illegal; how he and his motley crew got to the top of the WTC, evading the sluggish NYPD, has the excitement of a great caper movie. But what’s even more enthralling, and deeply beautiful, is the sight of Petit executing his space traverse high over the Big Apple. 94 minutes | Kendall Square
