Hammerle On … ‘The Walk,’ ‘The Martian,’ ‘Sicario’

“The Walk”

Legendary director Robert Zemeckis’ “The Walk” must be added to the list of great films in 2015. It is a film that is unique, inspiring and visually awesome, not to mention leaving you with sweaty palms at its magnificent conclusion.

As reflected by prior films ranging from “Romancing the Stone” (1984) to “The Polar Express” (2004), Zemeckis has a cinematic history equaled by few modern-day directors. Here, he tells the story of Philippe Petit’s breathtaking high-wire walk between New York City’s Twin Towers in August 1974, and he has you on board from the opening scene.

Let me start by paying tribute to the performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, here playing Petit. Using an authentic French accent, Gordon-Levitt also has Petit serve as the film’s commentator, appearing on screen giving a retrospective of his own story. Gordon-Levitt is a special actor who has a talent for performing in very good pictures.

The movie allows you to get a picture of Petit’s life as a lad in Paris where he began as a street performer. In the process, he meets the leader of a famous family high-wire act, Rudolf ‘Papa Rudy’ Omankowsky (Ben Kingsley), and he soon proves that he has no fear of walking across a tightrope at increasingly greater heights.

Seeking adventure, fame and excitement, Petit initially walks on a wire between the towers of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, only to become fixated with doing the same thing at the Twin Towers being built in New York. During this time, he develops a small group of dedicated assistants, and most soon accompany him to the Big Apple to fulfill his dream.

While the film is graced by small performances of several largely unknown French actors, I must give special mention to Charlotte Le Bon. Here she plays a Parisian street singer named Annie who falls in love with Petit. She is as cute as she is effective, and she helps Petit overcome his occasional arrogance and fear. Le Bon joins the talented Keira Knightley as actresses who have the courage and daring to appear on screen without perfect teeth. I admire both of them for daring to challenge the maddening crowd of women that Hollywood produces.

Seldom will you ever see a cinematic drama follow a great documentary covering the same subject, but that is the only way to describe “The Walk.” If you saw the fantastic Oscar-winning documentary “Man on Wire” (2008), you have already viewed the incredible footage of Petit as he walked on a narrow wire 110 stories above the streets of Manhattan.

Thanks to Zemeckis’ efforts, here you will see the frantic attempts of Petit and his small crew as they try to illegally get to the top of both the North and South towers to string their cable. It is filled with moments where you think that their entire plan will collapse, and their triumph will have you exhaling with relief as you are left gasping for breath once Petit starts his incredible walk.

“The Martian”

With “The Martian,” Ridley Scott returns to outer space, a genre where he is in complete command. Let me just say without hesitation that this film is every bit as good as his classic, “Alien” (1979).

In short, the movie focuses on a group of astronauts forced to leave Mars during a violent storm, leaving behind a comrade who is presumed dead. But their abandoned colleague survives, and he is left to try to produce enough food and water to have a chance of being rescued. Knowing that it will likely be years before another spaceship can return, his prospects are bleak.

Matt Damon does a wonderful job playing Mark Watney, the astronaut left on Mars. This is not Damon’s first role where he has been left struggling in outer space (i.e., “Elysium” and “Interstellar”), so it helped him to bring a sense of realism as he combined his botany expertise with a biting sense of humor.

Jessica Chastain is once again a standout, here playing the spaceship’s commander. Having also starred with Damon in “Interstellar,” it is impossible not to stay focused on her as you watch her character wrestle with grief as she leaves a supposed dead teammate behind in order to save the rest of the crew.

Quite frankly, this film dances on the edge of greatness due in large part to a magnificent cast. While an equally large group of talented performers lacked the ability to save “Everest,” that is not the case here.

Jeff Daniels personifies a NASA leader who suffers from having spent too much time in front of a camera. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sean Bean are exceptional as NASA men who are dedicated to bringing Watney back once they discover that he is alive. It is worth noting that Ejiofor was magnificent in both “Kinky Boots” (2005) and last year’s “12 Years a Slave,” while Bean has to be remembered as the first member of Gandalf’s small group to die in the classic “The Lord of the Rings” (2001).

But the performances don’t stop there. Sebastian Stan is memorable in his role as one of the crew members, while Mackenzie Davis and Kristen Wiig play important roles as employees of NASA. On top of that, Michael Peña once again stands out in a small role working under Chastain’s Melissa Lewis, and it is worth remembering his absolutely hysterical performance in the largely overlooked “Ant-Man.”

Yes, the movie lasts over 2 hours and 20 minutes so forgive me when I also single out the performance of Donald Glover, here playing a young, eccentric NASA intellectual who develops a theory to rescue Watney. He is colossally funny as well as thoughtful.

Scott joins Robert Zemeckis as one of the great directors in the history of Hollywood. His films ranging from “Blade Runner” (1992) to “Thelma & Louise” (1991) to “Gladiator” (2000) are recognized classics. How many people in any industry can claim such accomplishments while continuing to actively work at the age of 77?

“Sicario”

As hard as it is to believe, Director Denis Villeneuve’s “Sicario” is even more dark and brooding than “Black Mass.” Villeneuve shines his camera at the drug wars taking place on the Mexican/American border, and the film forces the viewer to embrace an environment that resembles Dante’s “Seventh Circle of Hell.”

Emily Blunt gives a towering performance as FBI agent Kate Macer. Assigned to a special CIA task force focusing on Mexican drug cartels, she is a dedicated law enforcement officer who proves she is willing to put her life on the line. Central to this provocative movie’s theme, she is appalled by our own government’s willingness to violate the law in order to enforce it.

The squad she joins is led by Matt Graver, played in a sarcastically compelling fashion by Josh Brolin. Needing her on his force for reasons that soon become apparent, Graver treats her commitment to truth, justice and the American way as both amusing and a reflection of her naiveté.

And then there is Benicio Del Toro in a staggering performance as Alejandro, a complicated South American member of the CIA’s force with a background that proves to be shocking. Del Toro gives a performance that is both sympathetic and horrifying, and his role in eliminating a pair of drug kingpins is as emotionally mind numbing as anything you will see on the screen this year.

“Sicario” is not for the weak of heart. Macer suffers some brutal treatment, and Blunt’s performance resembles that of Charlize Theron in this year’s “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Both were pursued by heartless villains who recognize no rules, moral or legal, and they were faced with applying the same standards if they and their cause are to survive.

This film leaves a shocking message that resembles what the U.S. did to Iraq by removing Saddam Hussein. Iraq and the Middle East have been in turmoil since that time, as have the drug cartels since we helped to demolish the Medellín Cartel by removing Pablo Escobar as its leader. The point is that terrorists with different agendas have risen to power in both areas, gleefully beheading people in Syria while more than 40 college students remain missing and presumed dead in northern Mexico.•

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Robert Hammerle practices criminal law in Indianapolis at Pence Hensel LLC as of counsel. When he is not in the courtroom or the office, Bob can likely be found at one of his favorite movie theaters watching and preparing to review the latest films. To read more of his reviews, visit www.bigmouthbobs.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.