The Dawn Wall & Free Solo - 'Double Bill' - Phil's Five Words for Film

Rock Climbing Double Bill. Harness yourself in for a wild time. You do not need to be a climber to appreciate wonderful film crafting.

'The Dawn Wall' (2017 Cert 15 UK 100mins) & 'Free Solo' (2018 Cert 12A UK 100mins) 

'Free Solo' is an Oscar-winning documentary (2018) about rock climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to scale Yosemite's El Capitan Wall without a safety rope. As uncomfortably crazy as it sounds and not for the faint-hearted. My recommended prequel is ‘Dawn Wall’ from 2017, to give you an idea of scale and the levels of physical fitness needed from all concerned. 'Dawn Wall' follows free climbers Tommy Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson, who attempt to climb a 3000ft route up El Capitan. Both films will make you marvel at the lengths some people will go to push their boundaries and the limits of possibility within sport. I would argue that 'Dawn Wall' ( Dir. Josh Lowell / Peter Mortimer) has a more complete narrative but 'Free Solo' ( Dir. Jimmy Chin / Elisabeth Chai Vasarhelyi ) has the better drama and cinematography. Tense, palm sweating, vertigo-inducing double bill documentary that highlights the daring, perseverance, wonderful camera work and climbing skills of a dedicated bunch. Insane and fantastic. Near perfect documentary making. Just don't look down. 

9 out of 10 (together and individually)

Cert 15 & 12A UK

X-Men:Days of Future Past - Phil's Five Words for Films

X-Men:Days of Future Past This is a great example of the idea being better than the reality. On paper, a time travelling X-Men film starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Halle Berry and many others, seems like a great idea. Uniting the old and new cast together in one awesome film. However, if the writing is this lazy and incoherent, no amount of special effects and star dust will cover up the holes. The story is all over the place, sudden revelations crowbarred in to provide a workable plot point. Whole histories erased and characters rewritten in the name of a 'reboot'. More time was probably spent writing the cast list than developing a convincing storyline, choosing to go with 'Mutants+Matrix+Terminator'. Done. The two saving graces were

What We Did On Our Holiday - Phil's Five Words for Films

What We Did On Our Holiday  Created by Andy Hamilton & Guy Jenkin, this is essentially a big screen version of their BBC hit 'Outnumbered' (but in conjunction with the British Guild of Comedy Actors and the Scottish Tourist Board, maybe). Different parents, different children but the same, nicely observed comedic overtones. Starring  Rosamund Pike, David Tennant, Billy Connolly, Ben Miller and Celia Imrie amongst others, it is a pleasant enough, good natured film that hits the modest targets that it sets itself. The story is centred around Doug (Tennant) and Abi ( Pike), who are in the throws of a separation. Together with their three kids, they travel to the Scottish Highlands for Doug's father's 75th birthday party. The father, Gordy ( Billy Connolly, in contemplative form ), has a terminal disease that he wants kept from his grand children. It seems everyone is trying to keep up appearances and secrets. Farcically, nobody manages. As with 'Outnumbered', the script seems to be there mainly for the adults, allowing the children to freely riff around certain topics - the source of most of the comedy. There is just enough laughter and pathos to make it an enjoyable watch, without drifting in to uncomfortable sentimentality. It feels more like 'big TV' than 'small film' but that doesn't mean that it can't be satisfying. The Scottish scenery and all those involved come out looking good and I would have happily watched more. A quintessentially British, pleasant and gentle comedy/drama that has some genuinely touching moments.

7 out of 10.
Cert 12A ( UK )
95mins. 2014

Philomena - Phil's Five Words for Films

Philomena is the true story of one lady's fifty year struggle to find her son, who was forcibly stolen from her when she was a very young woman. ( Based on the book 'The Lost Child of Philomena Lee' by Martin Sixsmith). Following a teenage fling with a young man in a local fairground, Philomena ( Dench ) was forced to give up her baby boy for adoption by the Catholic nuns with whom she was forced to live and work. They also convinced (!) her of the shame she should feel at being an unmarried mother and that the child trafficking was part of her religious duty. On the boy's 50th birthday, Philomena breaks the tragic news to her daughter and together they make contact with Martin Sixsmith ( Coogan ), a BBC correspondent, to ask him