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“The Climb,” directed by Michael Angelo Covino and set for a March release in theaters, is one of the first truly great movies of 2020. It’s an American comedy that features inspired filmmaking and a white guy bromance that feels completely new and original. Although it is an impressive directorial debut, Covino’s film stands out as an exhilarating anomaly in the context of all the comedic films that have come before it that have relied on a bland point-and-shoot mentality — regardless of budget size — Covino’s film is a wake-up call for the visual potential of heartfelt comedy. Characters and situations in “The Climb” can be traced back to shabby Sundance indies or glitzy studio comedies, but Covino is forging his own path with cinematic ambitions that promise a promising career worth following.
“The Climb” begins with a visually stunning opening sequence, one of many that include shots that are several minutes in length. Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin are friends who are riding their bikes through a hellish passage on a European bike ride when Mike gets a little ahead of them and shouts back that he’s had an affair with Kyle’s fiancée, which Kyle takes offense to. The two argue as Kyle tries to catch up with them, as if they were brothers playing a game of tag that had just turned serious. Covino makes a strong statement about his visual ambitions by allowing the camera to roll continuously throughout the video, filming them as they climb different hills and jump between various dramatic beats in a continuous loop. Their relationship quickly develops layers of abrasiveness while also being delightfully goofy, creating brilliant visual tension—Kyle huffs and puffs in the background after receiving this life-shattering news, and Mike sprints to catch up with Kyle in the foreground so that Kyle can, as Kyle promises, kick his ass.
The story, which was written by Covino and Marvin, is about Mike and Kyle’s friendship as they navigate different rocky chapters in their lives. Composed long takes are used to capture the immediacy of their interactions with one another. Mike and Kyle go through a number of episodes in which you believe their relationship will be destroyed, such as the opening bomb that Mike drops, but their deeply entrenched motivations and needs, as well as their elasticity, can prove stronger than the shocking events that occur. In a lot of ways, Covino plays a character who is extremely flawed and unlikable—a bad friend in a lot of ways—and yet the script provides a natural understanding of Kyle and Mike’s extremely complicated relationship.
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Mike believes that, aside from himself, a woman named Marissa is the most serious threat to Kyle and Mike’s friendship at this point (Gayle Rankin). During a holiday celebration, Kyle and Marissa announce their engagement to his family members, and it has the air of Kyle agreeing to something that the considerably more assertive Marissa wants to be removed from the list. A depressed Mike saunters back into Kyle’s life, uncertain that Marissa loves him. The three of them form a contentious triangle that leads with their characters’ mysterious endgames as they navigate their characters’ complicated relationships. Throughout the film, as Mike and Marissa engage in hilarious verbal combat over Kyle, their performances are excellent and fully alive across the board.
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One of the most difficult aspects of creating an extended sequence film like this is convincing the audience that they are watching a scene that has been meticulously constructed while still maintaining the emotional focus that comes with watching a fluid camera that guides the audience’s eye from one striking image to another. “The Climb” is particularly good at this, especially after the first chapter, when the acting and beats have established a confident rhythm. Incorporating continuous shots (some of which are stitched together with discernible transitions) into the action sequences allows Covino to inject numerous funny off-hand jokes into the dialogue, as well as increase the level of excellent visual comedy (like when one shot peacefully takes us from inside a church to the outside, only for Mike to crash right into frame). Midway through the film, you lose track of how long a particular shot is because the script instills a sense of surprise: you’re never sure how a different chapter will play out or where Mike, Kyle, and Marissa will be at the beginning of the next one. You can rest assured, however, that it will all be done in a way that is both thrilling and charming in a way that very few comedies are capable of achieving on their own.
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It’s not a stretch to say that Covino’s indie-that-can beats a one-shot spectacle like Sam Mendes’ “1917” at its own game, in order to put the film’s uniqueness into perspective. While “The Climb” is technically accomplished without being showy, it is also character and dialogue-driven, which forces the filmmakers to be inventive with their blocking, framing, and overall rhythm, all while ensuring that we are always invested in this wildly dramatic but very funny friendship. “The Climb” is available on DVD and Blu-ray now. For starters, it’s impressive how Covino and his crew are able to float the camera between Kyle’s numerous family members during a hectic Thanksgiving dinner, or along a large patch of melting ice during a bachelor party gone wrong. “The Climb,” on the other hand, is a top-tier American comedy because it can always guide you to its next gripping heart-to-heart between two people, where the cast’s equally meticulous character work shines through.
About the quiz
This review was originally submitted as part of the Sundance Film Festival in 2020.Also, you must try to play this The Climb quiz.
For more personality quizzes check this: Bohemian Rhapsody Quiz.
