Rent Everest (2015)

Not unbalanced - Everest review by CP Customer

Jon Krakeur's original account (Into Thin Air) of this true story, where he was a journalist being taken up Everest as part of a guided expedition, provoked a furious response in the form of another book 'The Climb' from Anatoli Boukreev, a guide who felt Krakeur's book had unfairly criticised him and other guides. It would be interesting to see what Boukreev, who has since been killed, made of this film. Having read both books, and having some sympathy for Boukreev's perspective I was curious to see whether this film would take sides. I was also terrified they would try and ramp up the action, ignore the tragedy and try and turn it into Cliffhanger. Thankfully, I think it's pretty well balanced, and indeed well-made. The script writer appears well aware of the controversy and tries to tread a middle ground.

If I have criticisms (and obviously I do at 3 stars) it's that it perhaps lacks the heart to truly engage - the characters (sorry, real people being portrayed on screen) lack empathy and the attempts to do so don't really take for me. (unlike Touching the Void, for example)

But if you watched it and want to know more, read both books - not just one.

Engrossing but flawed - Everest review by Alphaville

An engrossing, well-mounted account of an ill-fated 1996 Everest expedition. Director Baltasar Kormakur insisted on keeping it real. ‘Please, no acting,’ was his instruction to his actors. The cast dutifully immerse themselves in the snow with gusto and even the Italian Alps make a great understudy for Everest itself.

It seems churlish to carp, but the film’s attempt to remain authentic and true to its real-life participants makes it not without flaws. Firstly, when we’re impatient for the action to start, there’s a long flashback that sets up the backstory of the main participants before they hit the climb. Others in a large cast are so poorly sketched that when there’s a reference to them we don’t who they are. Like Everest itself, the cast is overcrowded.

Secondly, mountaineers wearing heavy gear and goggles in a storm are difficult to distinguish from each other. Among the bit players especially it’s often hard to know who’s who. All of this diminishes audience involvement and makes the viewer feel guilty for not feeling more when a ‘minor’ character (based on a real person) dies.

Given these caveats, Everest is well-made and remains one of the better fact-based mountaineering films.

Fairly decent mountain movies, but with too many poorly-drawn characters - Everest review by PV

Like most who have reviewed this film, I think it's a fairly good watch.

The scenery is stunning, for sure.

The main problem is too many poorly-sketched characters, some of whom look alike - and often shown in blizzards in Everest, so it's really a case of the man with the red jacket dying and the man in the blue jacket surviving.

Still, it's based on a true 1996 story, so I suppose it had to get in all the characters.

Co-written, I see, by Simon Beaufoy (who wrote the Full Monty and many films after that).

3 stars. Not bad, but not great. Want a great mountain film? Then watch TOUCHING THE VOID.