Everest

Released in 2015, there was Baltasar Kormákur's Everest that was based on a climbing disaster in 1996 resulting in multiple deaths following a severe storm. The Icelandic director is also behind the TV show Trapped that I'm currently enjoying on iPlayer and also directed Contraband and 2 Guns with Mark Wahlberg. In short, I didn't know what to expect from his take on this given his broad filmography.

The trailers promised an emotional disaster with nerve-shredding scenes that echoed Touching the Void. I was a little sceptical as the trailers also emphasised a lot of CGI effects and I started to wonder if this was to become more of an effects driven film similar to Roland Emmerich's. Thankfully, that was just the marketing department and what we are left with is a more character-driven film.

Jason Clarke takes the lead in a role that could not have been better suited to him as the guide leading a group of explorers up to the summit of Mount Everest. The other travellers include Josh Brolin, John Hawkes and Michael Kelly, all with their own reason for taking on this deadly challenge. Other supporting cast members include Jake Gyllenhaal, Robin Wright, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson and Sam Worthington who had been missing from the big films for a while. This is an ensemble film so screen-time is limited with a few but generally everyone was great.

Once the adventure begins, the exhaustion of the expedition becomes apparent and all the challenges that come with it. That said, this isn't quite the tense experience that had been promised, and while there is a true story to be told, there are moments where a greater sense of engagement and understanding the risks would have really helped. Due to the jumps in time that are necessary, it isn't always easy to understand the distance between character A and character B which can reduce the overall effect when someone needs saving. Being an ensemble film too, the multi-stranded plot-line does water-down the story when a sharper focus could have really helped.

Everest is still a satisfying drama to watch and the story moves along swiftly before you realise it's hit the two hour mark at the end. If you're looking for action and suspense on a snowy mountain then stick to Cliffhanger but for anyone in search of an interesting drama based on a true story, Everest isn't a bad choice.