Despite the many factors that hold this film back from being perfect, Everest is a memorable experience and provides some jarring images I still can’t quite shake off. Everest is based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, and focuses on the survival attempts of two expedition groups, one led by Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal) and the other by Rob Hall (Jason Clarke). With little warning, a violent storm strikes the mountain, engulfing the adventurers in one of the fiercest blizzards ever encountered by man. Challenged by the harshest conditions imaginable, the teams must endure blistering winds and freezing temperatures in an epic battle to survive against nearly impossible odds.
Everest features an ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Michael Kelly, John Hawkes, Sam Worthington, Robin Wright, Keira Knightley and Jake Gyllenhaal. This is one of the most amazing cast lineups that you’ll see in a movie this year and they all deliver superb performances. And yet, the real star of this film is the cinematographer Salvatore Totino. I saw this in IMAX and I highly recommend you do so as well if you plan on seeing Everest. With great visual effects and long tracking shots, you are going to want to see this on the biggest screen possible. It was great watching the movie with a packed audience because the deafening silence that filled the room when certain characters died added to the experience. Jason Clarke is the clear MVP here as his character easily undergoes some of the more harrowing sequences in the movie and has the most to overcome.
The first half of the movie does an appropriate job of setting up what’s to come but is frustratingly slow to sit through. A patient wait guarantees some incredible action but most people will be understandably bothered by the time it takes to reach that turning point. The motivations of certain climbers are confusing as they seem to just be along for the ride rather than have their own personal reasons for joining this arduous trek up the mountain. There isn’t very much I can say without getting into spoilers but I feel as though a little more clarification would have made several characters relatable.
Watching Everest is very much akin to what the characters experienced on the climb up. Excruciating difficult to get going but once beyond a certain point, it is ultimately well worth the ride. I suspect that if you’ve ever experienced loss in your life, this film will emotionally resonate with you and definitely hit home.
Grade: B-
Everest features an ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Michael Kelly, John Hawkes, Sam Worthington, Robin Wright, Keira Knightley and Jake Gyllenhaal. This is one of the most amazing cast lineups that you’ll see in a movie this year and they all deliver superb performances. And yet, the real star of this film is the cinematographer Salvatore Totino. I saw this in IMAX and I highly recommend you do so as well if you plan on seeing Everest. With great visual effects and long tracking shots, you are going to want to see this on the biggest screen possible. It was great watching the movie with a packed audience because the deafening silence that filled the room when certain characters died added to the experience. Jason Clarke is the clear MVP here as his character easily undergoes some of the more harrowing sequences in the movie and has the most to overcome.
The first half of the movie does an appropriate job of setting up what’s to come but is frustratingly slow to sit through. A patient wait guarantees some incredible action but most people will be understandably bothered by the time it takes to reach that turning point. The motivations of certain climbers are confusing as they seem to just be along for the ride rather than have their own personal reasons for joining this arduous trek up the mountain. There isn’t very much I can say without getting into spoilers but I feel as though a little more clarification would have made several characters relatable.
Watching Everest is very much akin to what the characters experienced on the climb up. Excruciating difficult to get going but once beyond a certain point, it is ultimately well worth the ride. I suspect that if you’ve ever experienced loss in your life, this film will emotionally resonate with you and definitely hit home.
Grade: B-
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