Everesuto: Kamigami no itadaki (2016)

Everesuto: Kamigami no itadaki: Directed by Hideyuki Hirayama. With Jun’ichi Okada, Hiroshi Abe, Pierre Taki, Shunsuke Kazama. A Japanese journalist decides to climb Mount Everest.

“The premise is an interesting one: What would happen if a disgruntled late-middle age couple poisoned each other one night after not seeing each other for many years? With a debt owed to Albeeu0026#39;s u0026quot;Whou0026#39;s Afraidu0026quot; (including a nod to the fictional child that was so important to that play/movie), this film engages that premise.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs is the case with u0026quot;The Grinnu0026quot; (Kalamaneu0026#39;s very fine 2017 entry), this is almost entirely a u0026quot;one locationu0026quot; film that could very easily be adapted for the stage. That said, this is no point-and-shoot low-budget movie. Kalamane is at his best behind the camera, and he tends toward short depth of field and u0026quot;bokehu0026quot; shots that frame the actors with particular light/reflection sources in the blurred background. In this movie, it gives a low-level warmth to the rather cold, bitter and selfish story that is taking place. (I wonu0026#39;t spoil the ending; but it does levitate the material, even if it is somewhat within convention.) His style also allows the camera to linger on particular set pieces that add to the atmosphere.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs for the acting, I thought the two principal players did a great job. The dialogue, particularly in the opening sequences, tended toward that stylized rapid-fire speech patterns that were prominent in American movies in the 1940s and 1950s. I personally found that did not work so well, given the heavy subject matter. However, over time, the speech became more u0026quot;naturalu0026quot; and less off-putting. This is a story of anger, selfishness, bitterness and lost opportunities. They conveyed that admirably.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn the end, I donu0026#39;t think this one is as u0026quot;tightu0026quot; a film as u0026quot;The Grinn;u0026quot; but if you enjoy psychological thrillers in the Hitchcock, Aster, Aronofsky vein, this might work for you. Recommended.”