Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
An epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains follows over four decades the profound, complex relationship between Pietro and Bruno.
The Eight Mountains is a beautifully crafted Italian drama distinguished above all by its stunning Alpine cinematography shot in an unusual 1.33:1 aspect ratio that emphasizes verticality and intimacy, and by two deeply committed lead performances from Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi. The plot, while emotionally rich, follows a fairly familiar arc of diverging paths and male friendship tested by life choices, drawing closely from Paolo Cognetti's source novel without dramatic structural invention. The ending is contemplative and earned but not surprising given the film's elegiac tone throughout. Novelty is moderate — the film has a distinctive meditative quality and visual grammar, but the themes of urban vs. rural life and father-son legacy are well-trodden territory.