VERTIGE (High Lane) (2009) French

It almost made it to the main road of ‘good movies’ BUT there was a bad DETOUR.

This french “Descent” knockoff had a chance; great landscapes, good camera work, remote location, attractive actors, who were really athletic (wow!?!?!)  and can kind of act!?!? But overall the plot devices of: “withholding pertinent info from friends” and “fear based betrayals” didn’t work as well as I’d hope.

So the layout…

You get two couples and a fifth wheel (who happens to be an EX) They go hiking and find that the trail they want to hike is closed…so of course they try and find an alternate route (why!!!!!!) Closed is closed is closed. But they needed to fill up the other 1 hour and 20 minutes (sans sex!) So they cross a huge bridge that breaks and they get stuck on a mountain. Sounds pretty good so far, but the plot veers off. 1st to REVIEW: Who crosses a bridge with steep falloffs and only one exits (a rickety bridge) But I guess the bridge has to break to keep the plot going?!?!? Then we watch the love triangle play out in a lame way??? So if you’re afraid of heights why go on a mountain climbing trip?

So, one by one they are plucked off and though they have a medical professional (nurse) in the group she keeps having flashback about killing a patient accidentally which prevents her from really helping anyone or being useful. Not to mention the flashback are not well placed and do not set up a climax for her well. Finally to top it off the villain SUCKS!!!!!!!! Don’t know if I’m being nice or a jerk by not spoiling it (is it aliens, humans, mutants, animals?) But…now I get why the boards on IMDB were pissed about the ending. Change the villain, re-cut the film and remove the flashbacks and you might have a pretty ok film worthy of a B rating.

That’s the skinny. Cross this bridge AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

Vertige (High Lane) (2009) France

Written by JoHanne Bernard, Louis-Paul Desanges

Directed by Abel Ferry

Starring Fanny Valette, Maud Wyler, Johan Libereau, Raphael Lenglet, Nicolas Giraud and Justis Blanckaert