Title – The Eight Mountains (2022) 

Directors – Felix van Groeningen & Charlotte Vandermeersch (The Broken Circle Breakdown) 

Cast – Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi, Filippo Timi, Elena Lietti

Plot – Set in the breathtaking surrounds of the Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains follows the life-defining decades spanning friendship of the city-savvy Pietro Guasti (Marinelli) and the rugged mountaineer like Bruno Guglielmina (Borghi). 

“I didn’t expect to find a friend like Bruno in my life”

Review by Eddie on 23/10/2023

A new collaboration from directors Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, who are the team responsible for delivering the heartbreaking and unforgettable Broken Circle Breakdown from 2012, the duos epic adaptation of Paolo Cognetti’s novel The Eight Mountains, set in the stunning surrounds of the rugged Italian Alps, is another memorable outing from the pair that is as moving as it is visually spectacular. 

Taking its time to explore the decades spanning friendship between Pietro and Bruno, two boys from different sides of the tracks that grow into men with more questions about life than they have answers, Mountains is a raw and honest exploration of male friendship and ones journey discovering their place in the wide expanses of the world we call home and lead by Groeningen and Vandermeersch’s carefully considered direction, those that fall under Mountains spell will likely find themselves moved and inspired by a film with an ethereal power. 

Starting out in a familiar way as a young Pietro finds himself in a small rural mountain set village on a Summer getaway from the big city with only the local Bruno as company of his age, Mountains doesn’t take long to forge its own path through a plot that tackles a number of weighty themes that are played out in top-notch fashion by the films adult leads Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi, who share a relatable and charming chemistry as two friends trying their best to support each other as well as their own goals as they forge ahead with their ambitions and dreams. 

Constantly forcing you to do a double take of the natural beauty on display courtesy of cinematographer Ruben Impens and often backed by a perfectly attuned soundtrack courtesy of composer/singer-songwriter Daniel Norgren (made up of new and older material), Mountains is the type of film that deserves to be seen on the big screen, allowing one to be immersed in its touching story and beautiful surrounds that work together to create something that perhaps may initially be small in scope and scale but steadily morphs into something altogether special. 

Likely to be too slow for some and perhaps too ponderous for others that appreciate their plots easily identifiable from point A to point B, Mountains is a deserving winner of the Jury Prize at 2022’s Cannes Film Festival and one of the more affecting examinations of the male friendship bond in recent memory, marking it down as a a must-watch for anyone that appreciates cinema that respects the art as much as the narrative. 

Final Say – 

A memorable new collaboration from its two filmmakers, The Eight Mountains is one of the years most beautiful films and affecting dramas, worth tracking down on the biggest and best viewing platform available for your needs. 

4 1/2 re-planted trees out of 5