Review of Free Solo (2018) by Michael O — 06 Oct 2018

After waiting for more than a year to see this much anticipated movie, I finally saw the world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. What Alex achieved is one of the greatest physical and mental feats in human history.

The camera movements and angles used by Jimmy Chin and crew are mesmerizing and captures the vertigo and insane views of the 3.000 feet of climbing. Here's where I wasn't as thrilled. The story telling and especially the romantic relationship leading up to the historical feat felt forced and lacked natural tension.

As a climber and an avid movie and film festival goer, I've seen plenty of climbing films so far and although Free Solo is an audacious project covering an amazing feat, it lacked an emotional connection and felt less tense than a movie earlier in the year called "Dawn Wall" which was a far more well told as a movie.

It's still a good movie and I highly recommend anyone to go see it. Perhaps Alex is too cool in life and his approach to climbing that it lacked an emotional connection. For those who've never climbed, it may seem thrilling.

For those who climb and have seen numerous climbing movies, it may lack the emotional connection. What's at stake is Alex's life and it's certainly a great look into a master's mindset.

For 2018, this is the second best climbing movie after the Dawn Wall, and one of the better documentaries for the year.