**THE WACPINE OF ‘FREE SOLO’**

WRITING: 8
ATMOSPHERE: 8
CHARACTERS: 8
PRODUCTION: 9
INTRIGUE: 7
NOVELTY: 6
ENJOYMENT: 8

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**The Good:**

Free Solo is the documentary about the amazing feat of climbing Yosemite's El Capitan with no ropes or gear and the man behind this miracle. The film allows us to understand Alex, his ambitions and preparations while building up for the exciting feat he miraculously pulled off. It's the climb itself people watch this film for, but knowing the people involved, the stakes at play and the preparations for the climb are integral to fully appreciate the feat itself.

Beautifully shot and edited, Free Solo allows viewers to feel the adrenaline rush through their bodies as they hang off of a cliff-face together with Alex. Whether it's the sweeping shots of the small person climbing up a huge cliffside or the small details showing just how worn out Alex's fingers are, we get the sense of how real all of this is. It's breathtaking and beautiful.

The climbing part, which only forms a minor part of the tail end of the feature, is one of the most intense and scary things I've ever watched. It's almost unbearably hard to watch even though I know Alex made it out of this alive.

I like how the documentary delves deeper into the things that drive free solo climbers to attempt their daring climbs. We take a look at brain activity, lifelong dreams and fearless personality types.

Part of the documentary focuses on the emotional aspects of free soloing and how it affects Alex, his friends and family. It challenges Alex to convince his loved ones and the audience that he knows what he does and it's important to him, but that he also has a normal life waiting somewhere.

There is a real empito0nal impact on some parts of the film, as the anxiety and fear of the worst-case scenario is brought forward very well. Even stronger is the sensation of triumph and relief once the ordeal is over. These are strong emotions we are dealing with hearing.

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**The Bad:**

The film loses some of its momentum halfway through, as the preparations and backstory are stretched out to an extreme. This means that the sense of build-up feels less palpable as the documentary refuses to give us what we are waiting to see.

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**The Ugly:**

Any lunatic who attempts to recreate this daring venture.

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**WACPINE RATING: 7.71 / 10 = 4 stars**

Remember that scene in _Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol_ where Tom Cruise climbs the Burj Khalifa? It's the type of scene where everyone watching it gets sweaty hands at some point, regardless of fear of heights. This has a similar effect, however what's being shown is even more terrifying, extraordinary and ultimately beautiful. There's a segment where they dive into the technicalities of this climb showing just how precise every movement is planned which made my mouth drop. It also provides a deep dive into Alex' character, it certainly isn't devoid of substance. In fact, it's way more emotionally complex than you might expect, the man's not some simple thrill seeker. In that regard, I appreciate the critical notes that are woven in here by the filmmakers, leaving it to the viewer to decide how they feel about his endeavors. Sometimes I wish the runtime was used more effectively though, because there’s some filler in here (e.g. buying a new house; teaching segment; preparation stuff in the middle) that I wish was spent on extending the final climb instead. I also wasn't a fan of the constant strings playing in the background during the climb; a very artificial, commercial way of adding tension which I think is unnecessary with what's being shown. Visually it's extremely cinematic, everything is very well captured. Loved the shots where Alex is shown from behind where the camera pulls back to reveal upcoming obstacles. Overall, really like this one, recommended to those who like to get a visceral reaction from their art.

7/10

Alex Honnold made a huge feat and this documentary shows it to you in an excellent way.
It never lets you go and at all times I was surprised and excited.
Deserved winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary.

Deeply upsetting and disturbing documentary. The movie tells the story of Alex Honnold, one of the world’s “best” mountain climbers, and one of the few who specializes in free soloing–i.e., doing the climb without ropes or other protective gear. It specifically tracks his summit of El Capitan in Yosemite. The movie is beautifully shot, with some truly stunning choreography and cinematography that creates a visceral experience when watching, especially on a big screen.

That said, I found the whole thing to be beyond distasteful and really disappointing. The easy target here is Alex himself, who spends the entire movie attempting to justify this behavior by couching it in terms of “dreams”, ambition, “success”, etc. But there is never any discussion of whether this is a feat worth trying in the first place–what does it prove? What is the functional distinction between doing a “perfect” climb up the mountain with a rope (that never gets used) vs. doing a “perfect” climb without a rope (that can’t get used)? I get it, people do dumb things all the time that I won’t understand, but this seems like a particularly peculiar practice to venerate.

There could still be a movie here, but this particular film really shies away from approaching the subject with a critical lens (worth noting that the filmmakers are clearly friends with the subject, which adds to the ethical questions surrounding the whole thing.) Never does the movie grapple with the question of psychopathology, other than with a very silly visit to a neuroscientist who grandly proclaims that his amygdala isn’t activating. There are some really heartbreaking conversations about the pressure his parents placed on him to be perfect, the lack of physical and verbal affection he received as a child, and the difficulty he has in forming attachments to others as an adult–but none of these conversations are taken seriously, and they’re not the focus of the film. When he gets to the top, the music swells, and we’re supposed to cheer. What gets lost is any exploration into the depths of damaged masculinity or the perversion of nature’s spectacle for the ephemeral pursuit of being “first.” The whole thing left me feeling sick and deeply sad for days. Avoid with prejudice.