Everest

Everest tells the story of a group of people who want to get to top of Mount Everest, but everything goes tits up.

If I wanted to be cynical about it I could say: Everest tells the story of a group of rich white men (and a Japanese woman) who climb Mount Everest, with the goal of making it to the top. Some people die and some don't.

I had problems with this movie. The first is that the director shoots a lot of close-ups. And when i say a lot of close-ups, I mean A LOT. This movie rivals Les Miserables from a few years back in terms of how many close ups there are. In fact, there is a scene where a character dies, but because it was all shot in close-ups I didn't realize that this character died until someone mentions it in the movie.

Now we do get some really nice shots of Everest, some of which I am sure would have been better seen in IMAX, but there is a surprising lack of excitement in this movie. At no point did I think that anyone was in trouble on the way up the mountain. So there is this big chunk of the movie where nothing happens, but people climbing up the mountain against white background. Add in some aerial shots and some snow and you have yourself a movie.

The last twenty minutes or so are played like they are filled with tension, but there is none. The problems lies in the fact that, while we got to know some of these characters, we just don't really care. most of the characters are cardboard. There two characters whom I cared about and that was it. And don't get me started on the female characters. If you are going to get Keira Knightly and Robin Wright in your movie give them something to do. Keira spends the majority of her scenes, which were shot in six day but could have been shot in one, crying and laying on the couch. Pay me and I'll do the same thing and I come cheaper than Keira, just not as pretty.

Everest tries to much and fails most of the time. I had no vested interest in most of what was going on. I can't say it is a terrible movie because the movie does have some pluses. These pluses, however, get bogged down by everything that surrounds them. I really wanted to like this movie more than I did. It was not a waste of time, but I am glad that I didn't buy it.