Back to Blog Index

Hot Docs Day Five!

I am already feeling Doc Fatigue. That shit can get heavy, yo. So today i forego my original plan of a brutal death and war double bill in favour of checking out Man on Wire, the film about Phillipe Petit's tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. The film utilizes reams of archival footage from Petit's training camp in France and the planning in New York, as well as recreations and interviews with Petit and his co-conspirators. Petit is a tremendous storyteller, and the film provides some very beautiful moments. The details of the crime/ act are interesting, but the 90 minute runtime is brisk and I would have appreciated more background and detail on Petit and his colleagues. Namely, how did they make a living and have the money required for the materials, research, planning, and scouting?

This won both Jury and Audience awards at Sundance this year. It is definitely a crowd pleaser, but it does not deserve the wild praise. I liked it quite a bit, but it also feels like an exercise in crafting a piece as closely as possible to an Errol Morris movie. So, yes, it is a pleasant watch, but the entire experience felt like an impersonation and left me feeling a little hollow after the fact.

\\\\

I continue the night with Wesley Willis's Joy Rides, a fantastic portrait of the gifted and troubled artist and musician. Willis survived a very troubled childhood, dealing with poverty, a fractured family, and schizophrenia. His energy was devoted to creating massive, detailed drawings of the buildings, roads, and vehicles of Chicago. This work found him a new family among caring friends and patrons. After befriending a musician Willis began writing music of his own and embarked on a career in a band then as a solo artist, continuing his knack for creating unique and charming work. His success came as both a blessing and a curse, allowing Willis to live independently, but also robbing him of the stability he required to stay healthy. His mental illness fluctuated wildly and he died at the age of forty from leukemia due in part to failing to keep up with his necessary course of medication while on tour.

Unlike a prior documentary on the artist, Joy Rides is done over a long period by a friend of Willis. Several close friends and family are interviewed and we have the chance to see many of Willis's drawings and live performances. The highlight of the film is seeing Willis's drawings animated to his own songs. Gorgeous. This straight-forward and respectful memorial of Willis is a life-affirming and moving portrait of an exceptional and misunderstood artist.

Posted on 04/24/08 by: Aaron 07:14 PM