**THE WACPINE OF ‘FREE SOLO’**

WRITING: 8
ATMOSPHERE: 8
CHARACTERS: 8
PRODUCTION: 9
INTRIGUE: 7
NOVELTY: 6
ENJOYMENT: 8

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**The Good:**

Free Solo is the documentary about the amazing feat of climbing Yosemite's El Capitan with no ropes or gear and the man behind this miracle. The film allows us to understand Alex, his ambitions and preparations while building up for the exciting feat he miraculously pulled off. It's the climb itself people watch this film for, but knowing the people involved, the stakes at play and the preparations for the climb are integral to fully appreciate the feat itself.

Beautifully shot and edited, Free Solo allows viewers to feel the adrenaline rush through their bodies as they hang off of a cliff-face together with Alex. Whether it's the sweeping shots of the small person climbing up a huge cliffside or the small details showing just how worn out Alex's fingers are, we get the sense of how real all of this is. It's breathtaking and beautiful.

The climbing part, which only forms a minor part of the tail end of the feature, is one of the most intense and scary things I've ever watched. It's almost unbearably hard to watch even though I know Alex made it out of this alive.

I like how the documentary delves deeper into the things that drive free solo climbers to attempt their daring climbs. We take a look at brain activity, lifelong dreams and fearless personality types.

Part of the documentary focuses on the emotional aspects of free soloing and how it affects Alex, his friends and family. It challenges Alex to convince his loved ones and the audience that he knows what he does and it's important to him, but that he also has a normal life waiting somewhere.

There is a real empito0nal impact on some parts of the film, as the anxiety and fear of the worst-case scenario is brought forward very well. Even stronger is the sensation of triumph and relief once the ordeal is over. These are strong emotions we are dealing with hearing.

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**The Bad:**

The film loses some of its momentum halfway through, as the preparations and backstory are stretched out to an extreme. This means that the sense of build-up feels less palpable as the documentary refuses to give us what we are waiting to see.

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**The Ugly:**

Any lunatic who attempts to recreate this daring venture.

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**WACPINE RATING: 7.71 / 10 = 4 stars**