Infinite Storm

For those of us returning to cinemas post-pandemic, this was a visual joy: wide-screen snowy mountains, a looming and belting storm, an engaging out-doors woman. Be prepared to suspend disbelief, as this search-and-rescue person shows poor judgement and sets off seemingly ill-equipped into a storm, technically un-proficient in doing a self-rescue from a snow well.

Rather over-done rescue sequence of seemingly suicidal man who at times didn't seem worth saving.

Also a notable gaffe as the action was supposed to take place in November, but the times projected on the screen show sunup at 6AM and still light in the sky at 7:30PM, too long a day for that time of year.

Some pardonable melodrama, but still oddly satisfying in the end.

The title is misleading, we automatically think it is a reference to the storm that caused the drama in the movie, but in fact it is a quote from near the end, when asked if you ever get over the loss of a loved one.

Mount Washington at almost 6300 feet the tallest peak in the NE USA. It is known for its erratic weather and in 1934 a wind velocity of 231 mph was recorded. It is the location of the hike and rescue featured in this movie, based on actual events.

Pam is a member of the area search and rescue squad, on this November day she is hiking the 5 miles to the Mt Washington summit on the anniversary of a personal tragedy. We learn her two young children perished in an unfortunate accident. There is only one other car at the trail-head parking lot and she eventually finds him, half frozen and unable to function. Her task is to get him down to safety.

For me this is not a particularly enjoyable movie because the vast middle has the two of them coming down the mountain, overcoming a few unexpected surprised. It is very well made but it is scant material for a feature length movie. But the last 10 or so minutes are pretty good.

At home on DVD from our public library, my wife skipped.

I'm sure that everyone involved with this project had very good intentions and that the real events in which the story is inspired must have been way more engaging, but the end result is rather dull and unremarkable.

I feel almost guilty to describe such a well intentioned story like boring and not engaging, but unfortunately that's what I felt while watching it.

I kept waiting for a twist or a reveal that would add tension or emotion to an otherwise rather dull story of survival, but it didn't happened.

The fact that "John" acts like an idiot almost all the time didn't help.

When are these movie producers going to start making movies at the true locations? This is a true story that happened on Mount Washington, yet the mountains look like the Rockies. Does ANYONE in Hollywood know ANYTHING at all about the geography of the world? Mount Washington, even though it is one of the harshest environments in the world, is only 6288 ft. High. I have been to the top of Mt. Washington and it is known as the rock pile for a reason. It is not a jagged peak!!! As soon as one of these movies has such a glaring error, it is REALLY hard to believe anything after that.

I see the narrow minded, poorly read, zero imagination, thinking only inside the box, ego centric half wits have come out in droves to flaunt their ignorance. If you posted a review because you've done this climb and the Movie is not accurate, than a) take a hike and b) no one cares. You're better off watching a MasterClass video by that crazy free climbing Alex guy. Or log on to Udemy and sate your appetite for non growth on some pack organization tutorials.

This is a story about perseverance you imbeciles. It's not a how-to on ascending Mt Washington. There's a concept called poetic license that has clearly gone over a lot of heads.

There's a lot going on in this film if you care to look. I like to think that the characters of Pam and John, though real in person, are thematically one person each representing a different side of ourselves. The one that has real fears and feels the pain of life, the other that strives to survive. And the infinite storm is really just the struggles we all face in our inexorable search to make it home.