Free Solo Premiere

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 Tony Jones 11 Dec 2018

I'm guessing a few folk here will have attended tonight's countrywide Free Solo premieres.

Pretty cool film (and well worth seeing). However the inclusion of a cheesy Tim McGraw song over the credits just seemed odd and out of place - I would have left had there not been the promise of the Q&A with Alex, Jimmy Chin and Elizebeth Chai Vasarhelyi to follow.

5
 Jon Stewart 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

I thought it would be excellent, but it exceeded my expectations. I thought the climbing footage was incredible (especially of the boulder problem, which I thought was filmed from the opposite side of the valley or something to avoid getting in his face). The human story was utterly compelling, and I thought was told without any judgment or attempt to wring out emotion. I saw it in Ambleside tonight, and the audience laughed awkwardly at pretty much everything Honnold said t his girlfriend. A masterpiece.

The credits music did grate on me for about half a second, but that wasn't what I took away from the film.

 1poundSOCKS 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Jon Stewart:

I was totally gripped from start to finish. I found the actual solo a hard to watch. I guess like a lot of climbers I thought I had some idea what the solo meant, but obviously I didn't. Essential viewing.

 Robert Durran 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

Utterly extraordinary and gripping from start to finish and I thought the way the back stories of his relationship and of the actual filming were woven in was brilliant. One of the best things I've ever watched. And no complaints about any of the music.

 Jon Stewart 11 Dec 2018
In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

> I found the actual solo a hard to watch.

If, like the crew, I hadn't known the outcome, I'd have found it rather harder!

Post edited at 22:15
 BusyLizzie 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

An amazing film. More about psychology than climbing, obviously. 

 sheelba 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

Easily the best climbing film i’ve seen fascinating and incredibly shot.

OP Tony Jones 11 Dec 2018
In reply to BusyLizzie:

> An amazing film. More about psychology than climbing, obviously. 

Absolutely.

And so interesting to note that AH started soloing as it was less uncomfortable than approaching potential climbing partners. I suspect there are a few of us here who've felt the same at some time.

 

 Robert Durran 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Jon Stewart:

> > I found the actual solo a hard to watch.

> If, like the crew, I hadn't known the outcome, I'd have found it rather harder!

Yes, the shots of the cameraman looking away almost in tears were almost unwatchable themselves......

 Pedro50 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Jon Stewart:

Totally brilliant, a snuff movie with a happy ending. 

 Crazylegs 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

I really enjoyed it and had unrelentingly sweaty palms throughout. I particularly liked the exploration of his conscious and perhaps subconscious motivations.

I took these as being:

A love of seeking out climbing perfection;

An under-firing amygdala;

Childhood relationships and especially with his father with Asperger's;

A convoluted way of avoiding being a loner (Chai's comments in the post film interview).

Any others?

 afx22 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

a. I could have done with some chalk for my sweaty palms.

b. The unicorn!!!

 ChrisBrooke 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

I’m a bit late to the party on this, but is it going to be released more widely, or just as special screenings here and there in outdoorsy places? I can probably wait until it’s purchasable online, but it would be cool to see it at the movies. 

 Tyler 11 Dec 2018
In reply to afx22:

> b. The unicorn!!!

What was that about,? I heard Chai mention it in the interview but it wasn't clear what Was being referred to.   

 

 Pedro50 11 Dec 2018
In reply to ChrisBrooke:

> I’m a bit late to the party on this, but is it going to be released more widely, or just as special screenings here and there in outdoorsy places? I can probably wait until it’s purchasable online, but it would be cool to see it at the movies. 

They said it's on general release tomorrow I think

 

OP Tony Jones 11 Dec 2018
In reply to ChrisBrooke:

Absolutely seek it out on the big screen as that really does the cinematography justice. I think it's going to be fairly widely released: it certainly deserves to be.

 Robert Durran 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tyler:

He passed someone dressed in a unicorn suit on a bivi ledge.

 ClimberEd 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Jon Stewart:

It was fantastic.

I note that where I live (broad generalisation, lots of middle married men in the audience) the laughs were loud and genuine

 Tony the Blade 11 Dec 2018
In reply to Tyler:

Honnold passed a unicorn having a portaledge party on the traverse. 

A truly stunning film that was gripping in its entirety.

 mike123 12 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony the Blade: amazing to be so on the edge of my seat when I knew the ending . However , I was disappointed that the q and a at the end missed a few important questions and prevented me taking a pound off tommy fat lad . 

 

 snoop6060 12 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony the Blade:

I was left thinking at the end... Argh, least Honnald gets dragged shopping for f*cking fridges and shit too. I felt his pain. That was the only bit I related to! The actual climbing is just unbelievably bonkers.

Post edited at 07:19
 stp 12 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

Wasn't expecting too much from this after watching The Dawn Wall just a few weeks ago, which rates up there with the very best climbing films in my opinion. However this film matched that in quality and production so I was very impressed. Although both films are in Yosemite this is a very different kind of film from The Dawn Wall. More psychological and sparks different thoughts and emotions. 

The only minor niggle is they didn't show the pitch grades which I would like to have known. I'm guessing that they thought the number grades might diminish the true difficulty of a solo ascent. A sketchy, vert, boulder problem pitch is obviously a very different proposition when soloing to an overhanging sustained pitch that's on decent positive holds.

Seems to be well rated by non-climbers too. Currently rated at 8.6 on IMDB.

 BruceM 12 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

Wow, Wow.  How cool was that!  I'm not a great climber so sometimes when I try one of the juggy full-height overhanging lines at Ratho wall, and finally drop on to the rope at the chains, I feel so light headed and breathless I might pass out.  That's how I felt at the moment in the movie when Alex topped out.  Must have tensed up and held my breath for most of the final solo.  I was expecting it to be good, as I'd read a lot about it and seen so many clips.  But it was way better than that.  Front row centre on the big screen.  Awesome. 

 

 

 Tyler 12 Dec 2018
In reply to Robert Durran:

> He passed someone dressed in a unicorn suit on a bivi ledge.

Oh it was a unicorn! Thanks

I was stunned how few people there were on the route

Post edited at 08:32
 Hooo 12 Dec 2018
In reply to Tony Jones:

I saw it in Mile End, London, and was surprised how young, hip and not obviously climbery the audience was. Made me feel old, which has never happened at a climbing event before. I guess they were all boulderers checking out what real climbing is about (Takes cover...)

Incredibly tense to watch, even though we knew the outcome. I really related to Alex, who appears to show Aspergers traits similar to mine. 

I have no recollection of the music, so can't say it detracted. 

 

 dougair 12 Dec 2018
In reply to Jon Stewart:

Absolutely, hard to watch, but at least we knew he made it to the top. Must have been a horrific 3hrs and 56 minutes for his friends in the Valley!!


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