Fine Lines

This film reaches a broad audience and has touched my soul in ways that I didn't think a movie of this genre would. The themes it's runs through are not only deep but anyone can relate no matter what aspects of their lives they draw parallels to. It was nice to finally see the human side of such extreme athletes. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

This documentary gets you thinking about what it means to have purpose in life and what following your dreams means, risks and all. You don't need to be a climber or enamoured by alpinism or extreme sports to find so much meaning in this beautifully crafted film. Best documentary I've seen in a very long time.

I have watched over 30 films on climbing, and this by far is my favourite. Much care went into this immensely inspirational documentary which included athletes/legends that spanned generations. Unlike other films in this genre which take on the same format of following the protagonist and their "adventure"(Meru, Free solo, Dawn Wall and dozen others ) this film stands out because it delves into their psyche and is for those who enjoy being contemplative and thinking about the "why's" of life. It's not at all sport centric and deeply meditative. They hit on topics you don't usually hear them talk about. Brilliantly done, and have watched more than once.

This film is amazing and powerful! It wasn't what I was expecting when I decided to watch it.( I purchased the full version from Amazon Prime.) I have been climbing a very different metaphorical mountain. I have been battling multiple chronic illnesses that have gotten worse over time. I spend most days in bed, and when I do leave my house it's often in a wheelchair. What I hoped to get from the film was stunning scenery that I will never be able to personally witness, and powerful stories of people that I could never hope to be like. What I found was so much deeper and more meaningful. It actually reminded me that strength doesn't always look like you expect it to. I am physically weak, in some ways, ; I can take a lot of pain and have to know when to push and when to listen to my body to slow down , just like a climber might have to decide that they've given that climb their all, and they will have to start again. The mental struggle is the hardest. It can be very lonely. When I think about how many times I thought I was reaching the top of my own mountain, only to have set backs I now remember I am not weak. I am a fighter. When I am having a hard day I rewatch some or all of the movie. I feel a connection to these people that I can't explain. I hope that especially during these difficult times everyone can see a bit of their own strength and resilience. Either determination and willpower that they forgot that they had or that they newly discovered.

The movie itself is a compilation of interviews of well known rock climbers, mountaineers, ice climbers and paraclimbers. A big chunk of the footage is reused from previous reel rock scenes and the movie tries to assign what risk is in climbing and in the life of the athletes. It falls short on focusing on... something, the storyline follows too many perspectives and you loose focus on the movie itself. Of course the trailer and the poster is misleading, making you think of great movies such as "king lines" with Chris Sharma.... but "fine lines"is anything but that. The soundtrack is too "dreamy", there is very little action, and the action showed is presented in short unintelligible sequences...followed by some static scenes, losing its flow of action. All in all it is not a typical climbing movie, it is more of a mash up that tries to give climbing this aura of a demigod activity for "very whole" people. I, personally think that this movie is for a certain type of climber or for some people that start climbing and they are charmed by the "holiness" of it.