Everything comes together in the last 30 minutes but its an uphill slog to get there.

I almost didn't like _The Climb_ until I realized it wasn't the movie that I didn't like, it was the characters. And I didn't like the characters because this is the story of two odious people and the movie was well made enough to make me hate them.

I can't say I recommend this indie darling because one male lead is abusive and and the second is a masochist so we basically watch a vicious circle of maltreatment for 90-minutes. Still, if you liked the brilliant _Thunder Road_ but wanted a hero who was less endearing and more annoying, _The Climb_ is your film.

At it's heart the movie has a compelling story to tell about two sometimes-friends who never seem to quite be on the same page. They struggle in their relationship with each other and their relationships with others. I loved the first half of the film but it felt like the story started to slip a bit towards the end when it tried to find a dramatic angle that felt . I particularly enjoyed the way that the thanksgiving scenes in the house were filmed - it was as if the audience was at the party and we were just kind of naturally drifting through the house from scene to scene until the nice transition into the christmas scene. I thought the end was fitting and overall I thought it was well worth the time (even though I could swear that was a muppet of George Wendt and not actually George Wendt).

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The Climb did not quite work for me. It was best when it was fun and silly. When it tries to move you or play it straight I did not feel it.