The Eight Mountains

A beautiful story of friendship that makes you think about what is really important in life.

A sky burial - the mountain man will not renounce the mountain, even in death

Shot narrow. No special effects. Just pure dialogue and life. Fantastic film. Better than 99% of big budget movies.

Amongst the choice of at home watchable movies The Eight Mountains is at the top of well done , well feeling , thoughtful worth your time.

The Eight Mountains delves into themes of friendship, loss, and human bonds. Filmmakers Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch skilfully tell this story, framed by the stunning Italian Alps. Central to the plot are two boys, Bruno (played by Alessandro Borghi) and Pietro (acted by Luca Marinelli). Their strong friendship blossoms amidst the breathtaking mountain scenery. Much like the towering peaks, their relationship is moulded by their shared journeys, mutual understanding, and deep attachment to their surroundings. As adults, their paths in life separate, leading them down distinctive journeys. Still, the friendship they forged when young remains strong, an unquestionable constant amid their ever-evolving lives. The movie cleverly wraps history and culture into the story. It shows changes in Italy's countryside and the traditions that hold its people together. The mountains are almost like a character in the film; their rugged beauty reflects the complicated relationships between people. We see Pietro's and Bruno's life journey through several small scenes spread over many years. They face obstacles in life, love, and dealing with loss. Time, space, and their own problems test their friendship. But, it lasts, showing the power of human strength. Themes like friendship, loss, and the need to belong strike a chord. The acting by Alessandro Borghi and Luca Marinelli is so real, it brings their characters to life. You can feel their bond, which makes it believable and emotionally touching. Felix van Groeningen's and Charlotte Vandermeersch's direction is superb. They beautifully showcase the majestic mountains, yet they also craft touching interactions among the characters. Daniel Norgren's music is affecting and eerie. It emphasises the movie's emotional intensity. Ruben Impens' cinematography is amazing. With his camera, he paints a moving portrait of the Italian Alps. The mountains are like a person, changing moods like our characters do. They chose a square film format, different from the usual wide screen. This change highlights the mountains, which are important to the story. It also makes you feel boxed in, like the characters who live in a hidden alpine village during summer breaks. This movie progresses at a thoughtful speed, letting us fully dive into Pietro and Bruno's lives. The shifts in time and feelings are expertly interwoven into the story by the editor. The script, penned by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, is succinct and moving. It often expresses hidden feelings with gentle nods and unstated words. I checked out this film at an early showing a couple of weeks ago, and it's still on my mind. If you are looking for a film that is simultaneously visually stunning and heartwarming, you must watch it. The Eight Mountains is a gorgeous, deep, and smart journey into friendship you shouldn't miss.

Set primarily in the Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains is the story of Pietro (Luca Marinelli) and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi), childhood friends who help each other navigate their way through life, despite the fact that their time together is often fleeting. Alternately joyous and heartbreaking, it is a film filled with valuable life lessons and perspectives worth examining. The cinematography is beautiful, the mountain vistas are stunning, the acting is topnotch throughout, the score and soundtrack effectively capture the desired vibe, and the dialogue is insightful but never pretentious. While it's hard to explain the 4:3 ratio that was used, The Eight Mountains remains one of the most visually impressive movies in recent memory.

A very simple story/movie. Not much to it. I didn't feel that it was worth my time.

I was disappointed with this movie. Some lovely shots (especially of walking the ridges), but I didn't care for the characters: I wasn't moved. We barely got a glimpse of the abandoned daughter, so why should we care she was abandoned? Something about standing at the high centre of mountains and paths instead of roaming those paths and mountains... hanging Nepalese prayer flags on the mountain hut wasn't going to make this movie profound by association. It was full of clichés about what it means to be a man: off wandering on his own while sporting a beard or bonding over a barn-raising. Strong, silent, beer-drinking. His own worst enemy, but hey! There were some interesting bits: urbanites wanting to wallow/escape in "nature", depopulation in rural Italy. The ultimate reason I didn't enjoy this movie over all was a fatal one: I became bored.

The Eight Mountains is an epic tale of male friendship and finding a purpose and place in life. It's beautifully rendered and very moving. The story begins in 1984 in Italy. Pietro lives in Turin with his family. Each summer they visit the Italian Alps, where Pietro meets Bruno. Bruno lives with his uncle and aunt who are traditional farmers. The 11 year olds form a strong bond until Bruno's father sends for him to live in another country. They meet again briefly at 16 but then don't see each again for another 15 years. At this point Pietro has lived a rather itinerant life whilst Bruno has settled totally into the farming lifestyle. They come together again when Pietro's father dies and leaves behind a crumbling house in the Alps. The two men rebuild over one summer and rebuild their friendship, vowing to meet each summer from there on. This wonderful film is a superb depiction of friendship and examines with tender care the paths we take and how life can and should be approached. It's magnificent to look at with breathtaking mountain scenery and the two lead performances from Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi are stellar. A glorious film of great depth and character.

A truly beautiful film and an instant classic. Honestly one of the better movies I've ever seen. Cinematography is beautiful, at times like still photography come to life, at other times truly athletic and dynamic. The coloring of the scenes was particularly impressive. While I can not pick up on intricacies of the Italian language acting, I thought they represented their characters very well and it was a joy to watch them grow up. This had to have been a tremendously demanding production. As someone who lives in Montana, I found the subject matter to be very modern and relatable, even though it took place in the Alps. But like the film says, "The mountains are the same everywhere." Beautiful, powerful, lovely film.