SUMMIT FEVER

UK, 2022, 115 minutes, Colour.

Freddie Thorp, Hannah New, Michel Biel, Ryan Philippe, Mathilde Warnier, Nancy Tate

Directed by Julian Gilby.

At the opening of the film, two meanings of the phrase, Summit Fever, are given, apprehensiveness in a situation, but also the drive in mountain climbers to reach the top.

This is a film principally for an audience who enjoys mountain climbing, whether in fact, or in dramas on screen. This makes it accessible and interesting to audiences of all ages who are climbing aficionados. But, for those not particularly interested in mountain climbing dramas, they will probably not persevere, appreciating the beauty of so much French Alpine scenery, even the dangerous climbing sequences, but, with the characters in their 20s, their own personal dramas and searching, rather prolonged in a film of almost 2 hours, they would probably give up and move on to another film.

Which means then that a review of the film is mainly praising of a great deal of breathtaking photography, the beauty of the French Alps, the snow, the mountain peaks. And, as expected, there are a lot of climbing sequences, dangers, losing grip, falls, people trying to break records – and falling to their deaths, storms, the hazards of whether, dangers and desperate rescues, friends committing themselves to help one another in harrowing situations.

The stories of the climbers themselves are what we might call, routine.

The cast is young although the older generation is represented by Ryan Philippe as a seasoned climber. The film was written and directed by British Julian Gilby, who has a passion for mountain climbing.