The Climb; A Dysfunctional Yet Delightful Tale That’ll Surely be a Classic. Grade: B+
The Climb tells a story about a couple friends named Mike (Michael Angelo Covino) and Kyle (Kyle Marvin), whom are gearing up to witness their beloved friend getting married. Mike however reveals to Kyle that he’s been sleeping with Kyle’s fiancé on and off, as Mike eventually split up the potential married couple, as Mike ended up together with Kyle’s fiancé. Years have gone by as Mike’s wife passed away, as now he’s in a runt emotionally but Kyle ends up being there for him anyways. Witness a friendship in the span of many years, that can be called Dysfunctional.
The Cinematography was pretty good, liked how this film looked very modern and has an authentic style. Also worth noting some of the film making qualities, including the Christmas party especially was nicely done, the way the camera moved all around the house was simple and effective. The Score was solid, I really enjoyed the composed music and the soundtrack selections were on point as well. The cast all in all was pretty good as a whole. You’re gonna love Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin playing the dysfunctional best friends, as I thought they were both great from an individual performance and especially chemistry wise. I enjoyed both characters, even though Mike is noticeably a douche bag half of the movie... You can clearly tell he’s a troubled douche bag, that needs one like Kyle as kind and forgiving as him. Kyle is honestly a friend everyone dreams of having and in a way, it felt like I was watching myself on screen. There have been so many people that have done me wrong, the way Mike does Kyle wrong, the amount of times go beyond counting from both hands. But at the end of the day: I still learn to provide forgiveness, as somehow and someway they can still count on me as a reliable friend, the way Kyle does for Mike... People like us don’t make any sense, however we should all be grateful people like us exist. It may appear dysfunctional and unhealthy for Kyle especially, however Mike literally has no one and it’s a troubling feeling seeing your beloved friend go through life lonely, troubled, and depressed as you feel it’s your obligation to be there for them through tough times.
You may recognize Gayle Rankin from the TV show Glow, as she plays a significant supporting role as Marissa, as I thought she was pretty good as well. She also has wonderful chemistry along with Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino as well, definitely some of the best scenes in the movie features all three cast members struggling to comprehend Mike and Kyle’s friendship. Marissa appears to be an independently driven person, whom thinks for herself and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is, as she doesn’t hold back no matter if it’s harsh or not. Which in a way Marissa is exactly what Kyle needs, as Kyle lacks authority or control to deny people. I think the relationship at hand is both good for both parties, Kyle benefits from Marissa regarding strength as far as mentality, while Marissa benefits from Kyle towards love, affection, and especially kindness.
I’ve heard many great things about The Climb from the ending of last year, to the beginning of the year. It was bound to make an early Spring release in theaters, then that pain in the ass came around and had it delayed for eight months, but thankfully it’s finally here! The Climb reminds me of a full feature film of the TV show Drake and Josh: A Dysfunctional Delightful pair of brothers. That’s exactly what this film is and I gotta say: I honestly loved this film.
The story of The Climb is well written and also feels timeless. Like this story goes on through a span of many years and it doesn’t really feel long at all, it’s well paced as everything is going so smoothly. I enjoyed just how relatable this film, regarding encountering a dysfunctional friendship that surely needs an ending, but you always find your way back somehow and someway. I think we all have had a friendship like this, may not have gone through the horrific things Mike has done to Kyle, but in a way we all felt mistreated by a beloved friend and still manage to come back. I also LOVED the comedy material in this film, thought the jokes and humor were all done very well as I laughed a lot while partaking this film. Some of the humor can be displayed in some of the worst situations, however they’re timely jokes that are executed perfectly displaying wonderful humor. There’s quite many memorable moments in this film, whether it be funny, sad, uplifting... It has a lot to offer in terms of variety within the story. I only have a couple minor issues regarding one particular moment between Mike and Marissa, while also a bizarre kidnapping scene that felt extremely weird. But other than that if you enjoy a film with great characters, great humor, and a great story that feels timeless as you want more... The Climb is definitely for you.
Overall, The Climb is a great film that’ll end up being considered as a classic over the course of time. I highly recommend checking this one out, if it’s showing in a theater near you, definitely worth the price of admission for sure! -Mitch Smietana