Vertical Limit, 2000

Vertical Limit, 2000
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Scott Glenn, Chris O'Donnell, Bill Paxton


Stage: Home TV selection, somewhere in between the week.



Vertical in short: A high-adrenaline tale of young climber Peter Garrett, who must launch a treacherous and extraordinary rescue effort up K2, the world's second highest peak. Confronting both his own limitations and the awesome power of nature's uncontrollable elements, Peter risks his life to save his sister, Annie, and her summit team in a race against time. The team is trapped in an icy grave at 26,000 feet - a death zone above the vertical limit of endurance where the human body cannot survive for long. Every second counts as Peter enlists the help of a crew of fellow climbers, including eccentric, reclusive mountain man Montgomery Wick, to ascend the chilling might of the world's most feared peak to save her.



Preps: Hm. Third time, I guess. NOthing spectacular I need to see. But something to relax my mind after a long day.


Reality: Somehow it's similar to Apollo 13. Someone that goes on climbing Himalaya, should know his/her strengths, weaknesses. And how far can he/she go in these thin lines between life and death.
Somehow I seem to be repeating myself. How much is one life worth or how much are three lives worth? In currency of lives and maybe in currency of media spectacles. How would it make a change if it was a relative or someone you love up in the mountain? How much money would you claim if you were the brave hero trying to rescue a mission?

One of the good missions that started with a prediction of fail, ends up in the vertical (of death), waiting for the rescue or its death. Being economic along the way (which makes it interesting, I might add). But nothing more than a good mission to make us think about our climbing, if we ever want to go. To think about the stakes and if we are willing to let them be, for the sake of dying possibly on the mountain, or being handicapped for the rest of our lives.

Not to underestimate the mountains is the main message. Taken in many copies around the movie world. This one is pretty average and makes you think about all the others. I still feel the piece with the most breathtaking message, how not to underestimate the mountains, is Alive. Also upon a true story. Maybe that's why it takes my breath away every time. Naah, that's not it. It's the good delivery.


My personal rate: 4,0 (ah.. if you don't have anything more important to do. It's a low brainer).


Vertical on IMDB

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn


Stage: Home TV selection on a Sunday night. A dozenth time to see this :)


Silence in short: Young FBI agent Clarice Starling is assigned to help find a missing woman to save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Clarice attempts to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lecter, who used to be a respected psychiatrist. FBI agent Jack Crawford believes that Lecter who is also a very powerful and clever mind manipulator have the answers to their questions to help locate the killer. Clarice must first try and gain Lecter's confidence before he is to give away any information.
Preps: None in perticular. I have seen this at the movies as well as home several times. I know it serves to my needs this evening.


Reality: This piece is one of the greater achievements in this genre. A brilliant act of two main protagonists, Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, makes this one an inspiring and thrilling experience. It is a simple crime story, however it takes a deep dive into psychological sphere, with the viewer not knowing what the devil has in mind (Hopkins), even though under bars. It's unimaginable, what imagination can do to you - even though the scenes are smartly hidden, you cannot wait to feel what hasn't been revealed. Quite an opposite from that kind, being filmed these days (a good example in the Saw).

Until the very end, you cannot tell, whether the girl is going to be found alive or not. Or where does the psycho under bars takes his wits (intelligence) and knowing where to seek and what to expect. And how to get under Jodie Foster's skin for that matter. Every time she tries to speak with him, you feel they are connected and that he's stripping her in front of the audience. A masterpiece, for sure. Worth seeing in any dimension possible. You will adore her and you will hate and love him at the same time. And be eager to save the young lady they are seeking for.

The idea of having a dress made out of skin was outrageous at that time. Now it's not really, we have seen this already repeatebly. However, at that point it was brilliant, unique and made sure the sits were full.

My personal rate: 9,0 (in my opinion, the beginner of several originals that followed, worth seeing and reconsidered from viewer's perspective)


The Silence of the Lambs on IMDB