Everest (2015)

Directed by: Baltasar Kormákur

Written by: William Nicholson & Simon Beaufoy

Starring: Jason Clarke, Keira Knightley, & Josh Brolin






I loved this film.

Why?

Well in contrast to my previous post about The Scorch Trials, Everest actually followed the book!

What I'm talking about is the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.  I read it in college for a creative writing course.

When I first heard about this movie, I was like "Oh, Mount Everest.  Is is a documentary or something?"  But it isn't.  It recounts the adventure taken on by a group of people who climbed this mountain, but unfortunately on their way back down, a storm hit and left some for dead and others in a panic.  It was very moving.

Now compared to the book, the film follows the guide Rob Hall who makes a living climbing up the mountain and insuring others that he can take them up and down safely.  Instead in the book it follows Krakauer and his experience.

I felt that the film was stronger than the book, which is saying something since that usually does not happen.  I believe the reason is that the audience gets to see the travelers' life outside the mountain.  Who are they married to?  Do they have kids?  Why are they doing this?  Etc...

There were a lot of things I liked about this film.  The acting was great.  The makeup was phenomenal.  You can actually feel their pain and them become frozen to death by the actors' performance and the makeup made them definitely look beyond Celsius.

Now I doubt that the filmmakers went to Mount Everest and got these shots of them actually going up the mountain.  Therefore the CGI was so realistic that I almost doubted them not not going.  Maybe they did, but I thought that only for a second.

If you go to the movies this week, or this month, put this as the front runner.  The IMAX 3D experience makes it moving, but seeing what these characters/real people (because it's a true story) go through makes it that much more.  Let's just say I was crying.  5 popcorns!