Better than Chocolate is an ode to Swiss Bouldering, showcasing the location’s famous hard lines.  The film bounces back and forth between interstitial interviews and climber commentary to footage of the climbs overlaid with blasting tunes.  If I were to pick a word to describe the single theme or feel of the music, and not its genre, I would say “Funk”.  At first I found it a bit off-putting, but sure enough, after a few minutes I was bobbing my head along to the grooves.

UPDATE: Haroun Souirji has been awesome enough to upload this to YouTube for your viewing pleasure. 

It is nice to hear the climbers themselves take moment and describe not only the problem, but also why it’s their project, what drew them in, and the passion they bring to it.  The film also goes the extra step to gently warn climbers away from behaviors that would jeopardize access to the area with on-screen text in areas so challenged. And as the end credits roll, a crag clean-up is seen.

For all its merits, this film didn’t really speak to me.  As the film winds on, the interstitials become more rare, the boulders started to blur together a bit, and the film seemed to stretch beyond its hour long runtime.  That said, if faced with the choice between Swizterland-Bouldering-Feature-Films, I would take this over LT11s “The Swiss Account”, if only for the soundtrack and the greater variety of climbers. For those that stay with it until the last minute, Legendary crusher Fred Nicole does make an appearance, and the bonus features will tell you how to cheer in every language.

Verdict: Borrow It…. if you are into Switzerland

THE WHO:  

Clemens Arndt, Michele Caminati, Antoine Eydoux, Anthony Gullsten, Anton Johansson, Robert Leistner, Clovis Matton, Olivier Mign.on, Fred Moix, Nicolas Nastorg, Fred Nicole, Paul Robinson, Chris Webb Parsons, Julia Winter, Jule Wurm 

THE WHAT:

New Base Line 8B+

Octopussy 8A+

Kalorienmonster 7C

Dark Sakai 8B

Foxy Lady 8A

Riverbed 8B

Voigas 8A+

French Bleau 7B

Hohenrausch 7B+

One Summer in Paradise 8B

Astronautenfieber 8A

Rhythm and Stealth E6 6C

Ill Thrill* 8C 

Never Ending Story 8B+

Radja (New Beta) 8B+

Unknown 7C
Permanent Midnight 8B 

Fake Pamplemoose 8A
Ganymede Takeover 8A+

Amber 8A+

Molunk 7C

Cellar Door 8A

General Disarray 8B

Marilyn Monroe 8A

Bella Luna 8B

Freak Brothers 8A

Walker on Earth 8A
From Dirt Grows the Flowers 8C

Dark Side of the Moon 7C+

Trieste-Gottardo 7C+

Gecko 7C+

Jungle Book 8A/8A+

Never Ending Story 6B+
La Nave Va 7C+

The Dagger 8B+