Direction: Felix Van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch
Country: Italy / Belgium / other
This adaptation of Paolo Cognetti's book by the Belgian couple Felix Van Groeningen (The Misfortunates, 2009; The Broken Circle Breakdown, 2012) and Charlotte Vandermeersch reveals quality in both the writing and direction. It’s also convincingly acted by Luca Marinelli (Martin Eden, 2019) and Alessandro Borghi (The First King, 2019), who worked together prior to this film in Claudio Caligari’s Don’t Be Bad (2015).
The well-meaning attempt to depict an unfailing, genuine friendship between two men with very different personalities throughout the years drifts away from sloppiness and pettiness. The topics are treated objectively, bringing us valuable humane feelings. In a profusion of sensitivity, The Eight Mountains sneaks up on you, annotating the roots, visions, and choices of Pietro (Marinelli), a man from the city who is curious about the world, and Bruno (Borghi), a man born in and faithful to the mountains. They first met at a very young age in Grana, a tiny Northwestern Italian village near the Alps.
Displaying a rare delicacy and sincerity, the film captures these childhood friends navigating the peaks and valleys of life. In their distinct paths, both find pleasant discoveries but also tremendous difficulties at some point. The Eight Mountains is a somewhat long saga that, nevertheless, is hard to forget. Imposing itself without flamboyance, this is powerful cinema one can compare to reading a good old novel. The narrative gains deeper meaning with the magnificent mountainous landscape of Aosta Valley, beautifully captured by the lens of cinematographer Ruben Impens, and a peaceful folk and country-flavored soundtrack by the Swedish singer-songwriter Daniel Norgren.
