As we enter the second half of 2015, we enter the standard Oscar season, when the majority of films are competing for Academy attention after a block of summer blockbusters. And what do the academy love the most (not LEGO based on last years nominations, apparently)? True stories, of course (bonus points if its set during a war). Standing at 29,028 feet, Mount Everest is one of the most beautiful and deadly natural wonders the world has to offer. Director Baltasar Kormakur has opted to focus on the latter aspect in his new film "Everest." Based on the 1996 Everest disaster in which no less than 8 people died, Everest is a beautifully shot and brilliantly acted film unfortunately let down by some aspects of writing and an inconsistent tone.
The casting directors and the studio have managed to assemble a great cast to star in this picture, including Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal and John Hawkes. These four characters are the best developed in the movie, each being given an effective backstory for why they are climbing Everest. Each of the actors manage to convey strong emotions in each of their performances, particular Clarke and Hawkes towards the film's climax, while others such as Brolin excel at other parts during the course of the action. In disaster movies like these, it is crucial for directors and screenwriters to spend time in order to flesh out these people so as to allow the audience to emotionally connect with them, thus allowing any potential death scenes to have a much more powerful effect. However, the reason I highlight these four is partly so that I can contrast that with other supporting characters who are not as well developed. While some may receive a quick throwaway explanation as to why they are there in the first place, others are hardly touched on at all to the extent that I sadly could not remember some of their names. Unfortunately, that only means that any of their deaths which I will not spoil did not hit me as hard as they possibly should have.
As I mentioned at the start, we have now entered the race for Academy affections and, while it is far too early to call definite winners, I think it is pretty much assured that this movie will be recognised for its cinematography. The lighting, sound and set design in the movie are all impeccable but is difficult not to specially mention some of the early shots of the group walking up the mountain, with the camera starting from the leader's face and slowly panning down through the ranks until we get a full shot of the mountain. These shots are all spectacular and really help to emphasise the difficulty of the challenge these climbers face when tackling Everest. However, the mountain and views itself could not have been brought to life in such vivid detail without the help of modern computer effects. The CGI in the movie is stunning, in particular the sight from the top of the mountain through the clouds to the ground. Without the colossal amount of detail crafted into these sequences, the director would have been unable to fully immerse the audience in this scenario, no matter how good his actors were.
Everest is by no means meant to be a funny or light-hearted affair, mainly focusing on the helpless climbers at the mercy of nature. I have no problem with movies like this having a bit of humour at the start, allowing the audience to let their guard down and grow to like these people, making the inevitable disaster much more powerful and terrifying when it eventually hits. However, switching back and forth between them for an hour before the main set piece makes the movie seem more inconsistent than smart. For example, one moment people are collapsing halfway up the mountain due to exhaustion and exposure to the elements, and the next Jake Gyllenhaal is lying shirtless offering whiskey to Jason Clarke. This is the rough style that the writers have chosen to adopt for the first act, before moving on. It's a small gripe for sure, and I'm certain that some of you will disagree with me, but it did seem really strange to me at times how the film constantly shifted between them.
Everest should be commended for its cinematography and CGI. Of that, there is no doubt. However, it is still let down by some poorly written secondary characters and an uneven tone, which hold it back from greatness. Based on a horrifying true event and featuring a stellar cast, Everest is proof that the Oscar season has truly begun. Brace yourselves for even more award hungry films in the next few months. At least we've still got Star Wars to look forward to for some light-hearted fun, though.
Pros
- Cinematography
- The cast
- Visual effects
Cons
- Some poorly developed supporting characters
- Confusing tone
Rating: 8/10
Release Date: 18th September, 2015
Starring: Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Sam Worthington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, John Hawkes, Emily Watson, Robin Wright
