I saw three new releases over the weekend, and each post this week will feature a film. Enjoy!
Everest is based on the renowned book by Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air, and features almost a who’s who of some of the best character actors of the last ten years. It has all the elements required for not only blockbuster success, but critical acclaim. Dazzling visuals, heartbreaking adventure, powerful acting. But somehow, Everest left me wanting much more—as if surviving the most dangerous place on Earth is not enough. Upon leaving the theater, my wife and I looked at each other and almost simultaneously said, “Why would anyone think this is a good idea?”
While we all know the clichéd reason why humans endeavor to climb the highest peaks, the practicality of the question still exists. Why do we put ourselves through this? We learn that some are climbing to prove their mettle for their kids, another is attempting to finish her goal of conquering the Seven Summits, some are working on journalistic projects, and another feels climbing is an escape from the drudgery of life. For Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal), ascending Everest is a business. They lead tourists to the top. What was once reserved for expert mountaineers or those conducting scientific research is now available to anyone willing to spend their life savings to look death in the face. Hall warns his clients that the mountain, with its impossibly thin air and violent weather, is literally trying to kill them. Yet each climber wants the challenge.
We know that nothing can possibly go smoothly in a film like this, and it is at the film’s halfway point, once the crews have reached the summit, that their fates are tested. Getting to top, it turns out, was the easy part. Coming down the mountain, while facing wind and snowstorms as well as depleted oxygen tanks, is too much for some of these adventurers. We in the audience are left wondering, how many of them will survive? And the film’s answering of this question is functionally suspenseful.
The action and visuals are excellent in Everest. The picture looks great on the screen, and though certainly there is an immense amount of CGI here, we can assume shooting much of this film must have been brutal. Each character does a serviceable job, particularly Clarke’s Hall as the focal point. There is much to respect about Everest.
But I never felt the emotional attachment to these people that I was hoping for. Gyllenhaal isn’t given much screen time (neither is Sam Worthington, as a fellow climbing leader); Josh Brolin, playing a brash Texan is rather superficially drawn; and the women of the film (Emily Watson, Kiera Knightley, Robin Wright, and others) are limited to sort of “we’ll wait here while the boys go have an adventure” roles. I always felt interested in watching what was happening, but never fully caring about why it was happening. The script also has excessive amounts of exposition, which noticeably slows the pace of the action. Even during climactic points in the film, I never felt the heartstrings tugged. And perhaps most disappointingly (and albeit largely unavoidable), because of the bulky clothing the characters must wear, and the whirring winds and blurry blizzards, it’s difficult to see faces and hear voices—adding to the disconnect and missing emotionality of the film.
This film has a strong resemblance to 2000’s The Perfect Storm, in which tough folks voyage further than they should against an undefeatable foe: nature. Yet the men of that film were working in their profession, for their livelihood. The travelers of Everest are on vacation. It’s hard to elicit a similar emotional resonance for rich people throwing their money away by acting stupidly. Everest is definitely worth watching for its stunning visuals, technical execution, and power-packed cast. But if you’re looking for something more, don’t hold your breath.
Grade: B-
Everest is based on the renowned book by Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air, and features almost a who’s who of some of the best character actors of the last ten years. It has all the elements required for not only blockbuster success, but critical acclaim. Dazzling visuals, heartbreaking adventure, powerful acting. But somehow, Everest left me wanting much more—as if surviving the most dangerous place on Earth is not enough. Upon leaving the theater, my wife and I looked at each other and almost simultaneously said, “Why would anyone think this is a good idea?”
While we all know the clichéd reason why humans endeavor to climb the highest peaks, the practicality of the question still exists. Why do we put ourselves through this? We learn that some are climbing to prove their mettle for their kids, another is attempting to finish her goal of conquering the Seven Summits, some are working on journalistic projects, and another feels climbing is an escape from the drudgery of life. For Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal), ascending Everest is a business. They lead tourists to the top. What was once reserved for expert mountaineers or those conducting scientific research is now available to anyone willing to spend their life savings to look death in the face. Hall warns his clients that the mountain, with its impossibly thin air and violent weather, is literally trying to kill them. Yet each climber wants the challenge.
We know that nothing can possibly go smoothly in a film like this, and it is at the film’s halfway point, once the crews have reached the summit, that their fates are tested. Getting to top, it turns out, was the easy part. Coming down the mountain, while facing wind and snowstorms as well as depleted oxygen tanks, is too much for some of these adventurers. We in the audience are left wondering, how many of them will survive? And the film’s answering of this question is functionally suspenseful.
The action and visuals are excellent in Everest. The picture looks great on the screen, and though certainly there is an immense amount of CGI here, we can assume shooting much of this film must have been brutal. Each character does a serviceable job, particularly Clarke’s Hall as the focal point. There is much to respect about Everest.
But I never felt the emotional attachment to these people that I was hoping for. Gyllenhaal isn’t given much screen time (neither is Sam Worthington, as a fellow climbing leader); Josh Brolin, playing a brash Texan is rather superficially drawn; and the women of the film (Emily Watson, Kiera Knightley, Robin Wright, and others) are limited to sort of “we’ll wait here while the boys go have an adventure” roles. I always felt interested in watching what was happening, but never fully caring about why it was happening. The script also has excessive amounts of exposition, which noticeably slows the pace of the action. Even during climactic points in the film, I never felt the heartstrings tugged. And perhaps most disappointingly (and albeit largely unavoidable), because of the bulky clothing the characters must wear, and the whirring winds and blurry blizzards, it’s difficult to see faces and hear voices—adding to the disconnect and missing emotionality of the film.
This film has a strong resemblance to 2000’s The Perfect Storm, in which tough folks voyage further than they should against an undefeatable foe: nature. Yet the men of that film were working in their profession, for their livelihood. The travelers of Everest are on vacation. It’s hard to elicit a similar emotional resonance for rich people throwing their money away by acting stupidly. Everest is definitely worth watching for its stunning visuals, technical execution, and power-packed cast. But if you’re looking for something more, don’t hold your breath.
Grade: B-