Free Solo

There are several similar documentaries out there, including those that meticulously focus on their protagonist’s character. Free Solo stands out slightly due to its visuals and music (Beltrami stealthily turns it into the most suspense-packed thriller of the year) and Honnold’s REMARKABLE performance, which defies common sense and is something much bigger than just sport. Watching it “live” would be impossible. Even being aware of how it’s going to end, I was covered in cold sweat. That the film won an Academy Award in the documentary category made me very happy, if only because for a long time, rock climbing was not acknowledged as a discipline worthy of the Olympics (it appeared for the first time in 2020). But I think it was the other way around - the Olympics weren’t worthy of rock climbing. (25/02/2019)

The bottomless pit of self-loathing. I mean, that's definitely the motivation for some soloing. Even in the previous movie of Meru the married creative duo reached for the imaginary grail of climbing documents with an overlap; but now they are holding it tightly in their hands. This is largely thanks to Alex Honnold, a “climbing autist", himself, who is an infinitely grateful object of interest purely as a person. Moreover, thanks to years of friendship, Chin easily put himself in tune with him and his distinctiveness. Another key aspect is the impact of the first permanent relationship on the routine of an unsettled loner, whose life, despite all professionalism, preparation and abilities, willingly balances on the constant edge of life and death. All this is highlighted by an attempt of history rewriting an incomprehensible sports super performance for an ordinary mortal not wishing to die, for which Alex is mentally and physically preparing for his entire career. And logically, the question “What if you die?", which not only Alex or his girlfriend keep asking penetrates the whole movie, but above all the crew composed only of old friends. The crew thus becomes one of the main protagonists, as they face a morally difficult choice of how to deal with the fact that they inadvertently put pressure on Alex through the presence of cameras and that they therefore most likely document his path to death. There is little that Free Solo covers (and omits the technique of solo climbing, which Alex can talk about in an engaging and instructive way for laymen when he is given space). And just by the way, the movie is crowned by the fact that the authors can deliver the scale and depth in a breathtaking adrenaline-fueled way that makes your blood run cold even through the television screen; let alone when watching on the big screen or in Imax. The result is a movie (whether Alex's or Chin's) that gets stuck under the skin. That stays... That stays under your skin for a really long time. It is thus a documentary about one of the greatest (above) sports performances in history, but all the time it is mainly and above all about people. (12/02/2019)

Visually captivating rock climbing. It’s brilliant how they hook the viewer, with the likeable protagonist managing to come across as a nice guy, but also as an incomprehensible fool. Beltrami's music is perfect. (02/12/2019)

An admirable feat by Alex Honnold, shot in a very bold way, conveying the "sweaty hands" effect even when you know everything is actually going to turn out well. Not that this is meant to diminish the feat of this introverted nerd and intellectual in any way, quite the opposite. In terms of sport, it's literally revolutionary. But in terms of content and filmmaking, aside from the aforementioned camera flourishes, it's a mostly mediocre film that offers nothing more and doesn't get under your skin other than its explicit depiction of man's battle with the overwhelming power of nature. (18/10/2023)

Interesting man, that Honnold. Too bad he's climbing some stupid rock most of the time. However, the overseas fascination with this elusive climber is understandable. A great story of indomitable human spirit, the will to fight and overcome one's limits is, of course, sheer manna for all the motivation freaks who need great human stories to get them to do something. But then it's brilliantly contrasted with Honnold's utter incapacity for self-presentation, his closed-off and disarming pragmatic honesty, which in a country running on a mantra of expressive self-expression must come across as something of a mysterious element, despite the fact that this country has busloads of such people. The tedious attempts to communicate with his mediocre, uninteresting, and somewhat dense girlfriend will at least identify which side you are on. Because I kind of suspect that she's there as an audience surrogate. (13/08/2019)