Free Solo (2018 Film) Review
"Free Solo" stars Alex Honnold and is about his free solo climb of the El Capitan, a vertical, three-thousand foot tall rock formation located in the Yosemite Valley. The film is solely about him, but Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, and Sanni McCandless also play a part in detailing this true story.
"Free Solo" is directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The couple last directed the documentary film, "Meru." They produce the film along with Shannon Dill and Evan Hayes. National Geographic Documentary Films is the distributor of "Free Solo."
Introduction
You guys, I've finally done it. "Free Solo" marks the first time that I have ever reviewed a documentary on this blog. For that, "Free Solo" has now been installed in the Dallin: The Film Fanatic history book. (That's not a thing.) Unlike other films that I've reviewed in the past, this introduction is pretty much pointless. I had no expectations for this film and I didn't come up with any strong material that was worth making an introduction out of. In this case, the introduction is a simple excuse to let you readers know that this is my first review of a documentary film. Enough of the delay, now on with the review.
Overall Thoughts
To start off, "Free Solo" is unlike any documentary I have seen before. In the ones that I've seen, which pertain to real-life accomplishments, they typically opt for less archival footage and more interviews with the people that were involved in such an event. This film is not the case. From the beginning, it's runs like a traditional movie with a real-life application. We learn about this individual, Alex Honnold, his passion for rock climbing, and his fascination, or is that obsession, with the El Capitan. I was intrigued about the way this film was structured. It has a chronological through line and is much like an above-average cinematic film. You wouldn't know it was a documentary if we didn't have the parts where the people presenting this story look directly at the camera and share there opinions and woes. The funny thing about "Free Solo" is that the making of this documentary is a crucial part of Alex's climb.
When this inevitably comes to all the home media platforms, I don't imagine there being a ton of special features. You know, the standard "Making of..." featurettes and so forth. I could see there being a roundtable or something of that ilk that goes deeper into why they made this movie, but nothing much about the process of making it. That's because the making of "Free Solo" is a deciding factor in the outcome of Alex's climb. You see, one of the big concerns that's made clear to us when Alex starts to consider free solo climbing the El Capitan is if the film crew recording his journey will distract him, put pressure on him to preform a certain way, or if one of the guys that's filming him close by, messes up in some form and causes Alex to fall. The people making this very movie have key roles in how Alex's climb turns out and a portion of this movie is spent showing Alex collaborating with them, trying to find the safe way to make this movie a reality.
Suffice to say, it's details like that make the story compelling and original. You wouldn't think that that'd be a problem, but it is and adds an interesting dynamic to the already-existing problems. There is a noticeable dip in pacing towards the middle-act and it lost some momentum that it built up previously. Because of the dedication that these individuals put into telling this uplifting story, it's hard not to like these people, even the ones that wish for Alex not to go through with this climb. Their angle is that they don't want him to have an accident. It's out of love and not about killing his aspirations just for the sake of killing his aspirations. I found myself getting wrapped up in the drama that the movie presented and the people in it are stupendous. The danger was real. It was too real and I applaud the film for going there. Although I knew that Alex Honnold made it to the top, that knowledge didn't lessen my ability to get enveloped by the tension, which is on display whenever he climbs, harness or no harness.
When this inevitably comes to all the home media platforms, I don't imagine there being a ton of special features. You know, the standard "Making of..." featurettes and so forth. I could see there being a roundtable or something of that ilk that goes deeper into why they made this movie, but nothing much about the process of making it. That's because the making of "Free Solo" is a deciding factor in the outcome of Alex's climb. You see, one of the big concerns that's made clear to us when Alex starts to consider free solo climbing the El Capitan is if the film crew recording his journey will distract him, put pressure on him to preform a certain way, or if one of the guys that's filming him close by, messes up in some form and causes Alex to fall. The people making this very movie have key roles in how Alex's climb turns out and a portion of this movie is spent showing Alex collaborating with them, trying to find the safe way to make this movie a reality.
Suffice to say, it's details like that make the story compelling and original. You wouldn't think that that'd be a problem, but it is and adds an interesting dynamic to the already-existing problems. There is a noticeable dip in pacing towards the middle-act and it lost some momentum that it built up previously. Because of the dedication that these individuals put into telling this uplifting story, it's hard not to like these people, even the ones that wish for Alex not to go through with this climb. Their angle is that they don't want him to have an accident. It's out of love and not about killing his aspirations just for the sake of killing his aspirations. I found myself getting wrapped up in the drama that the movie presented and the people in it are stupendous. The danger was real. It was too real and I applaud the film for going there. Although I knew that Alex Honnold made it to the top, that knowledge didn't lessen my ability to get enveloped by the tension, which is on display whenever he climbs, harness or no harness.
Cinematography
If you don't like this movie, it's okay, but you'd still find it tough to say that this movie isn't masterfully shot. Once the movie starts you find yourself immersed in a film with stunning views of the Yosemite Valley.
Prior to Alex's no-harnes scale, it's still far from sunshines and rainbows. Well, figuratively speaking. Literally, the film is full of beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and captures the beauty of the valley. In particular, one shot has Alex doing one of his practice climbs and in the background is a waterfall making the most clear and beautiful rainbow that has ever been put to film. It is a breathtaking sight to say the least. In a film that oozes anxiety during Alex's climbs, it put me at ease seeing such beautiful imagery. At the time, I was thinking, "I'm still nervous for Alex, but I'll be darned if I say that that shot isn't worth the price admission and the dread that is strongly attached to the film. Assuming that the Academy is smart, hopefully this will not only get a nomination in the Best Documentary Feature category, but Best Cinematography as well.
Score
Yes, even when there's no image of the album cover that I can find, I'm still going to talk about the score and the one for "Free Solo" is composed by Marco Beltrami. You'll recall in my "A Quiet Place" review that I criticized Marco Beltrami's score for being nothing different from what he's done before. On a side note, though that point remains, I do believe that his score for that film has strongly improved since my initial opinion of it back in May.
Back to the topic of discussion, Beltrami's "Free Solo" score is different from what he's done previously for films like "The Homesman," "Logan," and again, "A Quiet Place." To be fair, "Free Solo" does have those appropriately joyless moments that Beltrami is a master at, but he accomplishes this by relying less on string instruments and more on low-spirited percussion. When things go right for the people in the movie, the music will rise and make the occasions immensely satisfying.
The only problem that ails this score is that it isn't memorable. Though I remember how the score elevated the emotions in the film, I can't recall that well what the beats were. I would love to find out again, but unfortunately, I can't find the score anywhere. Not Spotify, iTunes, or even YouTube and that's a shame. With any luck, it'll get released soon and not just Tim McGraw's new song that he wrote specifically for the film, "Gravity." With that said, I caught myself tapping my foot along to the beat of the song as it played throughout the end, so it is pretty good. Just release Marco Beltrami's score and I'll be good.
Grade: A-
Taken at face value, "Free Solo" is a treat, but if you look beneath the surface, you'll find an honest and inspirational message about risk-taking in an adeptly-crafted documentary that balances drama and humor effortlessly and amplifies the accomplishment of Alex Honnold's free solo climb. If it weren't for a slowed-down second-act, I'd call it perfect.
Given that this is playing for a limited time in theaters and that it's not playing at every theater on Earth, it's unlikely that you’ll be able to see this in the cinema. If you can, however, please do. This is a documentary that is cinematic and is worth seeing in the theater. I wish that this was getting a wider release, though I suppose it's expanding this weekend, so again, if this is playing in a theater near you, be sure to see it. If you can't, it's all good. You can see this at home and still appreciate it's beauty.
Conclusion
So that's that. I hope that you enjoyed reading my review of the film, "Free Solo." As usual, let me know your thoughts on the film I've just reviewed as well as any suggestions for a future review. In fact, this film was a suggestion given to me by a friend who also loves movies. Thanks for reading, I'm Dallin, the Film Fanatic, and I'll catch you next time with another editorial.
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