Neil Hart is back with another installment of “hidden” gems in the forest of Font, with Out of Sight II.
Like the first film, Neil has been kind enough to put it up on YouTube for free (you should all thank him for that – I was emailing him a few years ago trying to source DVD copies of his stuff). As I said before, its also in Font, and some of the cast overlaps, but what makes this film interesting is where it diverges for its predecessor.
The first thing to note is not all of these boulders are on far-flung blocs away from it all, many of the problems highlighted are just forgotten lines overshadowed by close neighbors. Jan Hojer remarks at one point about having climbed every line on the face of a boulder, without ever having considered the arete, delighted in its quality. The other departure in this film is the cast – instead of folks from all ability levels, this reads more like a who’s who: Albert, Hojer, Godoffe, Webb, GuiGui, Shirashi and more listed below. As such, the boulders shown are on average a little harder than those of the first film, and at times a lot harder.
Outside of all the big names floating up things will ease, the most compelling part of the film for me was a segment with Rene-Paul Eustache, who lost a hand early in life. He sought out someone who could teach him how to climb well with only one hand, and Jacky Godoffe seems to have taken on the task. In addition to tutelage by one of the masters of movement, the exploration into the prosthesis used, and their limitations, had the engineer in me geeking out.
Also of interest is an early profile of Charles Albert, now famous for hard, barefoot ascents. He’s shown here climbing down things that I would struggle to climb up, and makes some good points for the rubber-free lifestyle. Ever been out somewhere only to see an amazing line, but you don’t have your shoes? No problem!
The shots are still beautifully framed and the musicambient balance is well done, although the actual choice of music had me scratching my head at times, flitting between background electronica and more intrusive tunes. It doesn’t ruin the film by any means, but it does make it feel more mainstream and less “artsy” than the original.
“I like the idea that age is not important unless you are cheese or wine” – Jacky Godoffe
Verdict: A sequel that evolved. Some film series reiterate the same formula over and over and fall flat (Deathwish 3, Grease 2), others shift gears completely and still kill it (Aliens). This is somewhere between the two, different than the original but still worthy.
The Who:
Nalle Hukkativial
Ashima Shirashi
Guillaume Glairon Mondet
Jan Hojer
Charles Albert
Lisa Chulich
Jimmy Webb
Jacky Godoffe
Rene-Paul Eustache
Caroline Sinno
The What:
La Piscine
La Fissure de la Liberte
Hurlement
Taipan
Toupie Carnivore
Hyper Plomb
Tank
Le 13eme Travail d’Hercule
Reve de Pierre
La Medaille er Chocolate
La Science Friction
http.bloc
Prise d’Otage
La Mort Suspendu
Narcotic Direct
Gourmandise
Jour de Chasse
Respire
Sans L’Arete
Big Golden
Pancras Assis
Satan m’Habite
La Ligne Blanche
Titanique
Tube
L’Etoile Rouge
Fourmis Rouges – Up and down!
Tritesse
Mechanique Elementaire
Big Boss
Instinct
Gnossienne
La Mere des Larmes
L’Angle Parfait
L’Hypotenuse
L’Envol
L’Hercule