Yes, dear reader looking for movies worth watching, your eyes are not deceiving you. I recommend that you check out a movie that somewhat stands out from most of the others on this site. The Climb AKA L’ascension is a charming and feel-good French romantic comedy full of adventure well worth your time. This is one of those highly underrated movies that simply slipped through the cracks or flew under the radar back in 2017. With only 22 user and 4 critic reviews at the time I’m writing these lines, it’s one of those hidden, well, not gems, but semi-valuable precious stones. Speaking of hidden things, there are a couple of strange things we need to talk about here.
Let’s first get the formalities out of the way. The Climb is infectiously positive offering solid production values and an adventurous atmosphere. And it’s loosely based on a true story. We will be following Samy, an ordinary guy who’s in love with Nadia, a beautiful girl who works in a local supermarket. To prove to her that he’s serious, in a moment of wild inspiration, he promises to climb Everest for her. And this would be just another “get you in the bed” false promise if Samy didn’t actually decide to go through it. So, without any experience or proper equipment, he sets off for faraway Nepal in hopes of winning Nadia’s heart.
Soon, the whole of France will be following his brave endeavors. The story will keep going back and forth between Nepal and his old hood, keeping things as fresh as they can be. If you’re a sucker for movies about mountain climbing or adventures in general, I think you’re going to like The Climb. I mean, that’s the main reason why I decided to give it a shot. Exactly because it’s not a straight-up romantic comedy. Moreover, it’s based on true events but more about that later. I should also mention the fact that Samy is of Senegalese origin. I’m guessing his parents brought him over when he was just a kid. This adds a lot of color, for the lack of a better word, to the whole movie.
Although I think the producers were simply trying to ride that sweet, sweet Omar Sy wave. The color of Samy’s skin will be also a source of several tasteful jokes once he starts climbing. A classic “fish-out-of-water” style of comedy. I also love how this movie portrayed the native Nepalese Sherpas. Incredibly strong and seemingly always in good spirits they gave this movie even positive vibes. Especially since the last couple of movies I watched about mountain climbing were quite dreadful. I’m talking about, of course, Society of the Snow and Against The Snow. If you’re looking for movies about Everest specifically, there’s the infamous Everest, a harrowing cinematic masterpiece everyone should check out.
Especially since it’s also based on true events. This brings me to the stuff I promised at the start of the review. As I previously mentioned, you should proceed with caution and perhaps only after you’ve actually watched the movie. I played it knowing only it was about a black guy from the hood who decided to climb the tallest mountain in the world and I had a great time. So, I’m hoping you’ll do the same. If, however, you want to know a bit more about the story behind the movie, please carry on reading. Despite the claim that the movie The Climb is based on a true story, the reality is very much different as the director and writers changed almost every aspect of the actual story.
Nadir Dendoune is a French-Algerian writer who did reach the summit of Mount Everest, without any experience in mountaineering back in 2008. However, he was an adventurer who, many years before that feat, did a lot of physically taxing endeavors. Nadir not only traversed the entire country of Australia in 1993 but he was also a human shield in Iraq in 2003. He was trying to protect the water treatment facilities there. So, the whole romantic angle is actually a work of fiction. And if you want to know more about Nadir and his escapades, he has several books and documentaries you can check out. He seems like a crazy good guy.
Finally, for the entire duration of the movie, I couldn’t stop thinking about one thing. It bothered me so much that I couldn’t wait to share it with you. I am talking about the inner logic of the movie where Samy has to “prove” his commitment to Nadia by doing this incredible thing. In return, she doesn’t have to do anything. I mean, I know that this is a sensitive topic and that we all did crazy things for love. Or sex, if we’re being honest. However, I simply could not shake the feeling that Samy didn’t need to climb a mountain to prove his love. He was good as he was and if Nadia wasn’t interested, well, c’est a la vie.
I actually felt sorry for him and kept trying to justify his actions by constructing a narrative where he was just looking for an excuse to do something adventurous and this was truly a good reason to do it. What do you think about this? Let me know down in the comments section. Before I go I must say that Ahmed Sylla, who plays Samy, gave one hell of a performance. I expect to see more of him in the future.
Director: Ludovic Bernard
Writers: Ludovic Bernard, Nadir Dendoune, Olivier Ducray
Cast: Ahmed Sylla, Alice Belaïdi, Kévin Razy, Nicolas Wanczycki, Waly Dia, Denis Mpunga
Fun Facts: Most of the movie The Climb was filmed on location in Nepal. However, Mount Blanc, the tallest mountain in France stood in for Everest.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5157682/
