Everest

A pleasantly civil, down-to-earth, and male spectacle (despite the presence of female elements) that wrings pathos from the fact that the protagonists are really hurting and the adrenaline pumps as if only in the background. This is because they die without grand gestures and the returns from the brink of death are dogged to the last breath. The casting couldn't be better because these actors cut through liters of emotion and personal feelings even over the phone, and in the audiovisual mode it's borderline hypnotic at times. I might have trimmed the more rambling first half a bit, but the second half is a pure action adventure that will have you locked in your seat by the time the credits roll. (24/09/2015)

Baltasar Kormákur knows how to make manly films and Hollywood obviously likes him. After the heist thriller Contraband and the action comedy 2 Guns, he's here with Everest, his most ambitious project yet. And he has succeeded. The director more or less ignores the pathetic scenes and tries to approach the story realistically. During the climb up the highest mountain in the world and the fight for life on the descent, we don't see scenes of a half-dressed hero holding his friend over a precipice with one hand and beating a chamois with the other. When there's dying, it's no bullshit. When there's a fight for life, it's over the top. And the fact that it's got really good actors makes it great to watch. (23/09/2015)

The journey to a place where the human body dies, in the story of people who knew very well how much they were risking, but still went for it. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less. And even though I don't understand the self-destructive behavior of the main heroes, thanks to the brilliant cast, I feel like I have at least glimpsed beyond the first summit. The intensity with which the highest mountain in the world siccs its pitfalls on climbers nails you to your seat, and the moment a storm appears, the cinema is already shaken to the core and the viewer knows they are in for a rough ride. And every gasp for breath almost hurts in your own lungs. (24/09/2015)

There couldn’t be a better director for such a story than Baltasar Kormákur. In my opinion, there is no other European nation than the Icelandic nation more connected with nature, and therefore they could tell totally everything with such a story. But since Baltasar is an Icelander and what’s more a capable director, he took up the storywhere the actors play second fiddle and Everest itself really plays the main role. I gained a lot of respect for it right from the first minutes and as Baltasar had no less capable cameraman, I experienced not only respect, but I also enjoyed the endless sceneries that were absolutely flawless. And the best part was that digital technology is used so little that you won’t even notice it. This movie is a huge film experience that I won’t easily forget. In many scenes, it says more than any viewer can catch, and at the same time, it tries to tell that story from 1996 as it actually could have happened, in a raw and realistic manner. (22/10/2015)

A precise survival drama with a fantastic cast that in some cases is too good given the few lines they have. The experiential capacity of the film is substantial. In some scenes it manages to grip and amaze, not only through the mountain setting, but also with the convincingly performed suffering of the leading characters. Things get unfortunately a little chaotic after some time with them covered in jackets and hoods and with the snow falling, they all look very similar and there were moments that I wasn’t really sure who was who. But overall, a recommending thumbs up. (26/09/2015)