The Devil All the Time (2020)

I always get a little bit excited when a Marvel actor — Tom Holland in this case — decides to work on something more serious and demanding as it goes to show whether he/she has talent or not. Netflix's latest original, The Devil All the Time, doesn't only star Holland; Robert Pattinson, Haley Bennett, and Eliza Scanlen are also in it, three additional reasons I couldn't possibly overlook the film despite the underwhelming reviews. And if like me, the cast is the pretty much the only reason you want to see the film, you're in for a treat as, while the film itself is a bit tedious, the actors are downright terrific. 

Serenity (2019)

I read something about a brilliant, mind-blowing twist on Twitter a while back so, despite my aversion for Matthew McCounaghey, I decided to check out Serenity. And now I don't know how I feel, whether I'm angry about the fact that sarcasm doesn't translate well over text or astonished about the fact that some people actually believe that was a clever twist. 

Anyways, the story follows Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey), a down-on-his-luck fishing boat captain who is obsessed with catching "Justice", a giant tuna fish (no, it's not Jim Halpert). One day, his ex-wife Karen (Anne Hathaway) shows up and offers him a deal, $10 million to drop her new, violent husband, Frank (Jason Clarke), into the ocean for the sharks to feast on him and pretend it was a fishing accident. 

Everest (2015)

Genre

Adventure | Biography | Drama

Director

Baltasar Kormákur

Country

UK | USA | Iceland

Cast

Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Sam Worthington, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, Thomas Wright, Martin Henderson, Elizabeth Debicki, Naoko Mori, Clive Standen, Vanessa Kirby, Tom Goodman-Hill, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Charlotte Bøving, Micah Hauptman, Chris Reilly, Chike Chan, Vijay Lama, Mark Derwin, Mia Goth

Storyline

On the morning of May 10, 1996, climbers from two commercial expeditions start their final ascent toward the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. With little warning, a violent storm strikes the mountain, engulfing the adventurers in one of the fiercest blizzards ever encountered by man. Challenged by the harshest conditions imaginable, the teams must endure blistering winds and freezing temperatures in an epic battle to survive against nearly impossible odds.

Opinion

Once again I had high expectations and once again I've been disappointed. Stuffed with famous names, Everest is a well done chronicle film, that only invites to observe and not feel.

With an overlong first half focused on the preparation of the climbing itself and acclimatization to the high altitude, and a second half focused on the tragedy itself, the film does not lack credibility or attention in the reconstruction of the events, but it's soulless. Apart from the fact that the division between part one and part two is like a clear cut, the film does not go beyond telling the facts as they are, and completely fails in showing the difficulties you may encounter in such a climbing, and the hostility of the environment.

The characters are a washout. The only well outlined character is climber Rob Hall, that with his company Adventure Consultants guided even clients with little experience on the top of the Everest. Unfortunately, Hall's rival Scott Fischer is very superficial, portrayed as an reckless drunkie. The other characters are just plot elements, and characterized by some small details - like Doug, the mailman pursuing his dream, or Yasuko, the woman completing the seven summits. Also, Anatoli Boukreev definitely deserved more space in the story.

The actors are wasted. While Jason Clarke and Josh Brolin give good performances, Jake Gyllenhaal's only purpose is delivering stupid lines, Emily Watson's New Zealand accent is unconvincing, Keira Knightley occasionally shows up crying, and Robin Wright doesn't even need to be in the film.