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Man on Wire (2008)
Very interesting documentary about a man with a dream
One of the greatest parts of this movie to me was when Philippe Petit, the man who walked on a wire between New York's Twin towers, says that when asked why he did this feat, he answered simply "there is no why." This really seemed beautiful to me that a man would devote his life to something just for the sake of doing it.
The film takes us back to a time when Petit was at the dentist, at age 11, and saw a picture of the Twin Towers being built in a newspaper. He recounts to us how he just ran out the dentist's and into the street, in complete bliss. A friend says in an interview that these towers were built for him to walk between, and Petit apparently felt the same way, with the rest of his life from that point on devoted to his dream.
I must admit that I saw the film after it one the best Documentary Feature Oscar at the Academy Awards. It won this and any awards it won deservingly. The film jumps fluidly back and forth in time, using interviews, reconstructed footage of Petit's early life and preparation for the event, and actual footage of the event itself seamlessly. Everything fits together and feels very real. I won't say that this is the best movie I've seen, for parts of it tend to drag, but once you see the "man on wire" in action, you are held breathless.
La souriante Madame Beudet (1923)
Confusing if you are not French
I am an American movie lover and I was thrilled to see this movie available for streaming on the internet. However, as I am not French, I had no idea what was going on for at least 3/4 of the film. What I did understand was: "OK, so we've got Madame Beudet and Monsieur Beudet. They are not happily married because they have greatly different cultural interests..." That's about it.
This film does not actually have much going for it except for the fact that it is the first feminist cinema masterpiece. If you are interested in the history of film, you should probably see this, but if not you should watch something else (by the way, this is VERY obscure, not on DVD or VHS).
P.S. I think that Monsieur Beudet looks like that drunk general in Dances with Wolves when he has that gun to his head.