You have no idea how good a documentary can be until you watch "Free Solo." My only regret is that I did not see it on a IMAX screen. That forum would simply enhance just how spectacular a movie this is.
"Free Solo" won the latest Oscar for Best Documentary and it is so deserved. This is a project that was as fearless as the guy it spotlights, which is one Alex Honnold. Now you might think Alex is a little crazy. He lives to scale cliffs and mountain in a free solo mode. What is that, you ask? Well, it's without ropes or tools or even gloves. The list of folks who perished from such lunatic actions is a mile long. Alex knows that and continues regardless, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend.
Well, film maker Jimmy Chin learns that Alex is going to attempt to scale something that has never been done by a human being before. Climb the famed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. So, Chin assembles a crew to follow Alex on his preparation for this climb. For weeks beforehand, Alex works on the mountain with the normal ropes and tools to find out the problem areas of such a mount. He needs to know where it's slippery and where the rocks are narrow. The attention to detail is immense.
But, here's the thing. Chin is filming this all for a documentary and you and he don't know how it will end. Because, once Alex starts his free solo climb, there are only two results that are possible. Success or utter failure AKA death. So the tension is all there to be felt and you share it with the film makers. An amazing feat that results in the most suspense that you will ever feel on the big screen.
Indeed, it's the last twenty minutes of "Free Solo" that will literally take your breath away. Even more exciting than anything Marvel Comics could put out. Moreover, there's not an ounce of camera trickery or computer graphics. It's all real and you are gripped by every single frame.
Since Alex was at the Oscars with the team accepting the award, you already know how this will all turn out. But, still, you are on the edge of your seat regardless.
This is one not to be missed by anyone. Find it on Netflix or Amazon or On Demand. As for me, I need to see it again in a theater.
LEN'S RATING: Four stars.
Dinner last night: Chicken tortellini.
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