Review of Steep (2007) by Timothy S — 18 Feb 2012

Even though I'm not at all a sports fan, everyone finds incredible sports videos to be fascinating. I'm certainly no exception, and the new skiing documentary "Steep" is filled with breathtaking, unbelievable footage. You can't help but be in awe of the athletes and the filmmakers who possess the amazing skill of capturing it all on film.

The problem that plagues this film, and all of the similar films of Warren Miller as well, is that a little of it goes a long way. The filmmakers do a nice job of introducing us to the skiers, and we get to know what makes them tick and take the extreme risks they take. There's a lot more insight here than in the Miller films, but everyone starts to sound like a broken record after a while. Most of the athletes featured here have similar backgrounds, and their stories start to sound familiar after a while.

I didn't get tired of that amazing downhill footage, but it doesn't make for a very stimulating movie-going experience. I did get tired of hearing the participants jabber on and on but I appreciated the film's inclusion of the death of one of the group. It would be far too easy for the makers of this to completely glamorize the sport and gloss over that event, but it doesn't. I never really found myself getting that involved in the movie, but that is a fairly touching moment. You can't help but feel for the guy and his family. "Steep" isn't much of a movie but it is a collection of cool skiing footage. I admired it, but I was still pretty restless.