Remember a few weeks ago when we said Hueco was on the podium of frequently filmed bouldering locations? Fontainebleau might just be the all time winner. So many I can’t list them all here, but let’s add another to the pile.

Dreams in Bleau is a Joe Iurato film that checks in at around 20 minutes, and featured UrbanClimber as a title sponsor, which should tell you something about the era it was filmed in. There’s no denying that this is film is a love-letter to not just the boulders, but all that is Font, travelling into the nearby town and greeting the local business owners and climbers. A local seen on other films, silver haired Jo Montchaussè, maneuvers deftly across stone, and showcases slacklining skills that I certainly can’t match despite being half his age. Adding to the focus on the beauty over the nitty gritty, no names or grades are shown for any of the climbs. The stand-out shot of the film for me may be the compilation of desperate sloper top outs, a personal favorite past-time of mine.

As is required for a bouldering film, the first two minutes are a montage of people travelling to the boulders. With it comes quiet contemplative music, but throughout the film the music shifts to suit the tone of the action. Also constantly shifting is the camera angle – sometimes that’s a beautiful dynamic panning shot, but unfortunately its often jerky to the point of being dizzying. Special effects appear here and there (climbing projected into an on-screen picture frame), but personally they don’t add to the film itself.

The Verdict: Skip It. I just can’t recommend this film for climbers. It spends far too much of its short runtime focusing on the peripherals, is hard to find copies of, and films like The Real Thing and the Out of Sight series offer far more insight into The Forest.

Standout Quote: “Bouldering is the best of the best”

The Who:

Doug Toth
Joe Iurato
Marc Pinnavaia
Dave Toth
Stèphane Dagnicourt
Jo Montchaussè