Entertainment

Movie Reviews – The Hollywood Reporter

The beauty of The pinnacle of the gods, a spectacularly animated feature about a photojournalist’s mission to uncover the mystery of Mount Everest, carried through to its less poignant moments. Like a close-up shot of a brooding figure leaning over a bridge drinking from a sparkling beer bottle. Or one of the rough hands sending a beige envelope into a fiery red mailbox with the yellow and translucent blues of a nearly sleeping city in the background. Backed up by an emotional score (written by Amin Bouhafa), these collages bring to life a film perfectly capturing the fascination of the pursuit of a singular vision.

By Patrick Imbert (The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales), The pinnacle of the gods is a visual treat wrapped up in a compelling story. The screenplay, co-written by Jean-Charles Ostorero and Magali Pouzol, is based on the popular manga of the same name by Jiro Taniguch and Baku Yumemakura. The five-episode mammoth story, which Imbert and his team cut in a short 90 minutes, tells the story of Fukamachi Makoto, a Japanese photojournalist who is obsessed with finding out if climbers Was British legend George Mallory the first person to climb Mount Everest in 1924? The question leads him on an amateur investigation to find Habu Joji, a climber that Fukamachi believes knows the answer.

The pinnacle of the gods

Key point

A visual treat enhanced by its compelling story.

Release date: November 24 (select theaters), November 30 (Netflix)
Cast: Eric Herson-Macarel, Damien Boisseau, Lazare Herson-Macarel, Elisabeth Ventura, Philippe Vincent
Manager: Patrick Imbert
Writer: Patrick Imbert, Jean-Charles Ostoréro, Magali Pouzol, Baku Yumemakura (based on manga by), Jirô Taniguchi (based on manga by)

1 hour 35 minutes

The film opens with lines that both act as literal descriptions of climbing and capture the existential energy of the following obsessions: “Walking. Climb. Climb more. Always higher. And for what? ‘ the voice mused. It’s “And for what?” haunts the opening sequence as the film transitions from a fictional scene of George Mallory and his partner Andrew Irvine disappearing into the snowy mountains to Fukamachi (voiced by Damien Boisseau), which, decades later, photograph a Japanese climbing team from from going southwest of Everest . They never made it to the top, much to Fukamachi’s dismay. He struggles to find meaning in his work and sees his magazine photography work as meaningless.

When a stranger tries to sell a photojournalist a camera he thinks belongs to Mallory, Fukamachi, out of his own feelings, angrily kicks him away. It wasn’t until he saw the same peddler in a heated exchange with someone Fukamachi believed to be Habu (Eric Herson-Macarel), a reclusive mountain climber, that he began to think better of words. his previous denial. Maybe there’s a story there. Driven by the potential scoop, this enterprising photographer tries to convince his editor (Philippe Vincent) to accept it.

Find Habu makes up a good part of The pinnacle of the gods, giving the film a balanced structure between Fukamachi’s current research and scenes from Habu’s life. Every time the photojournalist rummages through the archives or conducts an interview with a friend of Habu, a clearer portrait of the enigmatic climber emerges and its parallels to life. of Fukamachi became clearer. Both are looking for meaning in their defence. For Habu, climbing is like breathing. He spent his most active years looking for a way to recognize his abilities, but it was never successful. Success eluded him, and he spent most of his life watching other – sometimes less skilled – climbers win.

Habu’s grueling climbs, beautifully depicted, are reminiscent of rock-climbing pro Alex Honnold in the disturbing but equally breathtaking documentary. Free Solos. Part of the film’s appeal stems from its satisfying attempts to translate what drives the likes of Honnold to pursue dangerous feats. The question “And for what?” also applies here, but think of that movie along with The pinnacle of the gods doesn’t make you wonder if that’s even the right question.

The film suggests another, more tantalizing question: “Why not?” Habu’s climbs are impressive feats against nature and random flirtations. If one day the sun doesn’t show up long enough to melt the snow, if the ice remains too slippery, if the winds are too strong, the chances of mission failure and personal frustration increase. Climbs are also tests of the mind: How much brutality are you willing to make out of the elements?

The skillful animation techniques of Imbert and his team (including Gaëlle Thierry as the animation director) raised suspicion, suspense, and lows that came along with the territory. 2D has never looked so good. While the characters themselves are rendered quite simply, their backgrounds sing, especially when climbing. The scene of Habu clinging to the edge of a high mountain is cut with shots of the glittering night sky or the mountains at sunset, filled with purples and pinks. If you can watch on the big screen – and really, you should – these moments capture a piece of nature’s beauty.

Fukamachi finally manages to track Habu and their first meeting is chilling: Habu doesn’t want to be bothered, but Fukamachi, now haunted by a man he thinks he knows, wants to ask him a question. question. The second’s persistence eventually broke the veteran climber, who agreed to climb for the photographer eagerly documenting. As the two artists embark on work – Habu’s methodical rock climbing and Fukamachi’s focused photographs – their relationship progresses gracefully. A third intimate act takes place, and The pinnacle of the gods subtly changed its point of view. Suddenly, Fukamachi is not only a spectator in Habu’s life, but also an understanding friend.

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