Page 29 - aruba today sept 29,2015
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PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Tuesday 29 September 2015
‘The Walk’ a big-screen balancing act in a lost art
JAKE COYLE Robert Zemeckis, left, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt attend the New York Film Festival opening night tit made his early morn-
AP Film Writer gala premiere for “The Walk” at Alice Tully Hall on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, in New York. ing stroll with a handful of
NEW YORK (AP) — Robert collaborators, it was pho-
Zemeckis’ big, cinematic Associated Press tographed but not video-
tale of Philippe Petit’s au- taped. “Philippe was on
dacious 1974 World Trade for Zemeckis’ movies alto- adds Rothman. “You’ve “Flight,” a character study the wire for 45 minutes and
Center high-wire stunt is it- gether: the story of an indi- of an alcoholic pilot (Den- in all of Manhattan, no one
self a bold balancing act in vidual elevated to dreamy got to really give people zel Washington) that en- could scramble a movie
a lost art. heights of the clouds. ticed moviegoers with an camera in 45 minutes,”
Mixing big-screen spec- “If you’re going to do an a reason to get out of their extraordinary plane crash chuckles Zemeckis. “How
tacle and an original story original movie that isn’t a set-piece — a carrot of times have changed.”
about real-life human be- sequel, you’ve got to really house and go to the cin- special-effects dazzle. The central feat of “The
ings is not the usual recipe supply a big cinematic ex- In the time since Zemeckis Walk” is its digital recre-
in today’s reboot-crazed perience,” says Tom Roth- ema and see it on the big began developing “The ation of the Towers, along
Hollywood. “The Walk,” man, who produced “The Walk,” Petit’s stunt was re- with the vertigo-inducing
which boasts some of the Walk” while reviving TriStar screen with a capital B. told in James Marsh’s Os- 3-D sensation of being 110
best 3-D the medium has Pictures before becoming car-winning documentary stories in the air. The dizzy-
seen, would be out of chairman of the Sony Pic- And that’s what this is.” “Man on Wire.” But while ing effect — made within
place amid the superhe- tures Entertainment motion Zemeckis grants it’s a very a budget of just $35 million
roes of summer, just as it picture group. The film has for years been good documentary, he — sent some moviegoers
stands out among the dour “Everyone knows there’s so notes it’s missing one essen- rushing to the restroom at
dramas of the fall. much great stuff on televi- a passion project for the tial thing: Petit’s walk. the film’s New York Film Fes-
“I so subscribe to the Fran- sion and blah, blah, blah,” That’s because when Pe- tival premiere on Saturday.
cois Truffaut quote that a 63-year-old Zemeckis “My cameraman and my
successful movie artistically visual effects supervisor
is a movie that’s a perfect (“Back to the Future,” ‘’For- and I, we studied what
blend of truth and spec- the best way would be to
tacle,” Zemeckis said in a rest Gump”), one of Holly- evoke that feeling of ver-
recent interview. “I do think tigo,” says Zemeckis. “We
that’s what we go to mov- wood’s great illusionists. He really paid attention to
ies to see.” where we put the camera,
“The Walk,” which opens spent a decade in digitally what lenses we used, how
nationwide Friday, stars Jo- we moved the camera,
seph Gordon-Levitt as Petit animated movies (“The Po- what gave us the most dra-
and recounts the French matic sensation of height.”
high-wire artist’s famous lar Express,” ‘’A Christmas Gordon-Levitt spent sev-
caper: sneaking to the top eral days at Petit’s home
of the just-completed Twin Carol”) before returning in the Catskills training with
Towers to hoist a wire and the still passionate 66-year-
tiptoe between them. to live-action with 2012’s old Frenchman. Armed
But the film is also an argu- with an extensive, minute-
ment for the magic of mov- by-minute lesson plan, Petit
ies to ascend to greater swore Gordon-Levitt would
heights than a comic-book be walking unassisted on a
factory. It’s not hard to see wire within a week — and
“The Walk” as a metaphor he was.q
Kenny Rogers announces
retirement from touring
KRISTIN M. HALL that line a lot when I was he’s still thinking about In this Nov. 6, 2013 file photo, Kenny Rogers, winner of the Willie
Associated Press younger,” Rogers said. making new music, maybe Nelson lifetime achievement award, poses backstage at the
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — “And I didn’t get a chance a duets album. 47th annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn.
“The Gambler” Kenny Rog- to spend a lot of time with “I found that everybody
ers says he’s retiring from my older boys and I regret sings better as a duet,” Associated Press
touring and will do one last that now.” said Rogers, who famous-
worldwide farewell tour The Grammy-winning ly made “Islands in the Nettles and the a cappella mas music,” Rogers said.
after five decades on the singer will be on the road Stream” with Dolly Parton a group Home Free. “Music has always been
road. through the end of the year huge pop song. “There’s a faction of peo- the great memory maker
Rogers, 77, says in a video promoting his latest Christ- Rogers will start his Christ- ple that always love Christ- of all times.”q
message on his website mas album, “Once Again mas tour in November in
that he wants to spend It’s Christmas,” and will do Canada.
more time with his two a final world tour in 2016 His album is a mix of clas-
young sons and his wife, with cities and dates to be sic holiday tunes like “Little
Wanda. announced later. Drummer Boy” and “Baby
“In my book I wrote, Rogers, whose career has It’s Cold Outside,” a few
‘There’s a fine line between spanned country, pop, new songs and plenty of
being selfish and being Christian and folk genres great duets with singers
driven,’ and I think I crossed and over 65 albums, said like Alison Krauss, Jennifer
