neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Touching The Void
	Kevin Macdonald Joe Simpson, Simon Yates, Brendan Mackey, Nicholas Aaron, Richard Hawking 2003		Blurring the line between documentary and docudrama, director Kevin Macdonald's "Touching the Void" is a true white-knuckle thriller about young British mountain climbers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, who somehow survived one of the most hazardous feats imaginable. Simpson and Yates traveled to the Peruvian Andes in the summer of 1985 to scale the west side of the 21,000-foot Siula Grande peak. The climb alone was a monumental task. Simpson and Yates managed to make it to the summit, but the descent was far more precarious. On the way down, Simpson broke his leg, requiring Yates to try to lower him by rope. Something went horribly wrong and Yates was compelled to cut the line or risk his own death. Simpson fell, but his will to live was superhuman. Based on Simpson's book about the trek, "Touching the Void" puts the bulk of fictional action movies to shame, and will leave viewers dizzy, keyed up, drained and uplifted. Macdonald combines interview footage of the participants with frighteningly believable recreations of their adventure. We know that Simpson and Yates made it back alive, because they're on screen, narrating their story and reflecting on its ramifications. That doesn't diminish the tension and drama one iota. For real-life adventure, "Touching the Void" is unparalleled.