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AMDG

23           Mikael M. Laurel                                                                                                       Submitted 09/23/15

10M       FCC Movie of the Week

“Everest”

Directed by Baltasar Kormakur (2 Guns)

Starring:

Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) as Rob Hall

Jake Gyllenhaal (Southpaw) as Scott Fischer

Josh Brolin (Labor Day) as Beck Weathers

Keira Knightley (Begin Again) as Jan Hall

Robin Wright (The Chronicle) as Peach Weathers

Summary:

The film is based on a true story. In 1996, a group of mountain climbers prepare for an expedition to the summit of Mount Everest, expecting an adventure where they would overcome great odds and face their fears. However, an unexpected storm hits, and the expedition turns from an overwhelming challenge into a fight for survival.

Review:

                When I entered the cinema to watch the movie the other day, the left and right rows and columns of seats were nearly empty. It’s no surprise; the movie wasn’t promoted as much as blockbusters such as Terminator Genisys or Jurassic World. However, I believe Everest could go down as one of the most underrated movies of the year.

                In my opinion, the film’s cinematography was its best part. It magnified the Everest and showed its vastness one moment, then scaled down and showed the mount’s minute details the next. Lighting was very good as well, as it set the tone for particular scenes, like when the storm hit; that scene’s lack thereof gave it a slight feeling of suspense and danger, which was most likely its intended tone.

                The composed musical score wasn’t a masterpiece, but like with the lighting, it set the tone for many scenes, particularly at the end, where there was a feeling of extreme melancholy.

                The make-up was superb. Many actors were glammed up so well to the point that they looked almost exactly like their real counterparts (pictures were shown at the end). Clarke and Gyllenhaal were almost unrecognizable. Beck Weathers apparently got hit with frostbite, and Brolin’s makeup really made it looked like he had that particular disease.

                However, I do believe that many characters had one-dimensional personalities. One particular example is Scott Fischer, who was energetic, daring, and happy go lucky throughout, and I’m quite sure that the real Scott Fischer would not have been happy go lucky all the time, especially in situations of near death. It would have helped if a little more serious scenes with Fischer were added to test Gyllenhaal’s acting chops a little, and to intensify the movie more.

                Speaking of which, there were many cases in Everest where the actors weren’t quite as intense as they should have been. Even in climactic situations, many of the actors, I felt, were too calm. They showed emotion, but didn’t exaggerate it as much as they should have.

                Taking note of the pros and in spite of the cons, I think Everest was a very good film. It was definitely flawed, but its positives outnumbered its negatives, as shown. It could have been much better though, with the stellar casting and visuals that it had. However, the film was still well executed, and it got its point across clearly. It was still able to tell a shocking and tragic tale about survival on top of Mount Everest.