Everest (12A)

Mount Everest climbers have come a long way from the time of Edmund Hillary, who in 1953 was the first person to reach the summit, without technology and assistance at hand.
Here is a movie portraying a true story about a motley crew climbing, in freezing conditions, the last vestige for them – the peak of Mount Everest, writes David Flynn.
‘Everest’, gives an insight into the world of the climbers of the high mountains.  In the movie, the difficulties of climbing to the peak, in blizzard conditions, couldn’t be shown more clearer, with or without the 3D.
It’s almost 20 years since two private expeditions at work on the mountain met the almighty storm – the likes of which hadn’t been recorded before.  
Seemingly each individual had to pay the sum of $65,000 to go on an exhibition to climb the peak of Everest.  These folk were made up of middle-aged men in the last hours of any sort of youth, still searching for that high mountain to climb.   The movie gave an interesting insight into such a venture.  A base camp high on the mountain housed the different groups for induction and relaxation before they climbed.
Warnings appeared to be thin on the ground before the impossible snow storm hit the mountain.  People from the two expeditions were caught between base camp and the peak, and lives were in jeopardy.  The efforts of the climbers appeared fruitless when they attempted to come back down the mountain, and through the storm.
The temperature continued to plunge and the wind cut like a knife, not mentioning the snow, and lack of oxygen available.
Emily Watson, in an interesting cameo role played Helen Wilton, the boss of base camp. Jason Clark, (who when young in 1998, acted on ‘Titanic’) played the pivotal role of Rob Hall, who was a guide on one of the expeditions.  Keira Knightly played his pregnant wife in some claustrophobic scenes, not on the mountain.  
Josh Brolin played the middle-aged Beck Wethers, and Golden Globe winner, Robin Wright played his wife, in just two scenes.  Jake Gyllenhaal played the happy-go-lucky, too positive climber, who was bound to come to harm’s way.
One of the writers of Everest – William Norton has a good CV, and wrote the recent hit, ‘Les Miserable’ which starred Russell Crowe, and Crowe’s breakthrough movie, ‘Gladiator’.
‘Everest’ was shot on location in Nepal, and you’ll feel that you are on the edge of the mountain, at the cinema.   It is available in both 2D and 3D but it makes little difference, because the way its filmed makes you feel you can walk onto the mountain.  It’s gripping, it’s cold, but it’s worth watching.