Ok humor me on the title, since I just went down a rabbit hole searching for a clever mountain term. I now know the Alps are still getting taller and what a massif is…I digress…
The Eight Mountains is a fabulous book written by Paolo Cognetti and was adapted to the screen by writer/director Felix van Groeningen and his partner Charlotte Vandermeersch. The couple, along with cinematographer Ruben Impens (Titane) accomplished the height of cinematic perfection, immersing themselves in the Italian Alps for three months to capture the stunning footage.
The story of two boys from opposite homes (one city, one mountain) form a life long emotional bond despite their different life paths. The screenwriters worked magic in their ability to show time passing while simultaneously slowing down scenes that generated bonding and emotion.
With the aid of haunting music by Daniel Norgren, the actors moved like well conducted instruments. The main characters, portrayed by Luca Marinelli (Martin Eden) and Allesandro Borghi truly commanded their roles.
While it won the Cannes Jury Prize in 2022, it lost to Triangle of Sadness for the Palme D’Or. As much as I enjoyed Triangle of Sadness, ticklish fun doesn’t hold a candle to mountains of emotion. The Eight Mountains should have won in my book and is a two and a half hour treat worth seeing on the big screen.
