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Reviews
Meru (2015)
Inside an elite climbing expedition: Super humans!
An amazing documentary about three extreme alpine climbers attempting to summit Mount Meru in the Indian Himalayas This film records their second attempt at conquering the impossible Shark's Fin peak, hoping to be the first team in recorded history to do so). The climbing scenes are as terrifying as they are gorgeous (how did they film this thing anyway?!), but it is the personal stories of the climbers that engaged me the most. These are some of the best climbers in the world - their skill, persistence, determination, risk-taking, and obsessiveness about climbing are difficult for most to understand.
For example, one of the team, Renan Ozturk, sustained a depressed skull fracture / broken neck / vertebral artery injury in a skiing accident just five months prior to summitting. People! Most doctors would advise patients with even a concussion to not fly for a period of time. Yet, Renan fought back and just five months later was on the side of Meru. In a heart-stopping and heart-breaking turn of bad luck, he had a mild stroke - at nearly 18,000 feet up the mountain. And insisted on continuing the next morning - even though he could not speak, he was physically OK. Still...who does that?!
Another climber, cinematographer Jimmy Chin, almost died four days after Renan's injury in an avalanche - on the same mountain where he and Renan had been filming together. It was Jimmy who found Renan injured, lying facedown in the snow. The leader of the team, Conrad Anken, lost his best friend Alex Lowe while on a climb together - and ended up marrying Alex Lowe's wife and adopting their three boys. And that is just a little bit about these incredible men.
You couldn't write a more compelling story - and yet this is real life! Superbly filmed, beautifully written, and emotionally wrenching bu5 ultimately deeply inspiring. If you don't get choked up along with these guys at the surprising end to their impossible dream...check your pulse!
Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013)
Woo woo...!
A wonderful, uplifting movie with great music and such incredible vocals, I got goosebumps several times! But also a little heartbreaking to watch these incredible women (and a few men) struggle to gain their due recognition over the years (e.g., Darlene Love recorded vocals on a song, which was released - and became a hit - by The Crystals, lip-synching to her amazing voice). My husband and I were drawn to this movie because we had just seen the Rolling Stones and were blown away by Lisa Fischer - just wow! That woman's voice is a wonder, she can sing anything!
I have to borrow from another reviewer, as this captures part of the film perfectly: "However, the heart-stopping climax of the film belongs to Merry Clayton, as we are treated to her isolated vocals from the master on her infamous performance on the single 'Gimme Shelter.' Hearing her raw voice blast out 'Rape. Murder. It's just a shot away' is both exhilarating and gut-wrenching. To hear her tell the story is mesmerizing. One of my favorite movie moments ever." I wonder why Merry Clayton is not touring with Rolling Stones?? Just curious, I love Lisa, but this song belongs to Merry Clayton!
I enjoyed the commentary by Sting (when you become an instant star, you haven't done the spiritual work behind the singing), Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, etc. Oh, and Tina Turner and the Ikettes were awesome! And what a tragedy auto-tuning is...
A really enjoyable and, for me, educational documentary. Highly, highly recommended!