In a post-screening Q&A, writer, producer, and actor Kyle Marvin described contemporary comedy in cinema to be focused on fitting as many jokes into the script as possible. In The Climb, Marvin and his director/co-producer/co-star Michael Angelo Covino come together to create a different kind of contemporary buddy comedy, one with uniquely long takes, slow burns, and a humor that doesn’t feel the need to prove itself to an audience by throwing out jokes faster than can be appreciated. The film paces itself, and builds on its array of characters over a long period of time, revealing only the most poignant parts of them when is necessary. The Climb is about relationships, love, and the toxicity of a friend. Its subtle withholding of information throughout the story paves the way for audiences to fill in any remaining gaps about these characters, which brings thematic elements of the film to life. Judgements that the characters make about each other are mirrored in the judgements the film encourages audiences to make through in medias res exposition and minimalist dialogue. Despite The Climb’s unorthodox approach to jokes, it is couched in a timeless storyline that is a mix of classic buddy and romantic comedy.
The event of The Climb’s opening night at Cinema 21 was as singular as the film. Marvin and Covino were in attendance with their families, mixing it up with festival-goers over popcorn. They made a short appearance before the screening, proclaiming that they “made this movie for Portland,” which is to potentially say, for an audience with a distinct sensibility favoring eclecticism and creative transgression, offered by The Climb in spades. Adding to the ‘eventness’ of the evening, the co-creators were asked a handful of questions regarding their artistic inspirations and careers immediately following the film. Marvin and Covino were charismatic and humble, and both spoke candidly about the importance young filmmakers should put on helping others make films if they have dreams of creating independent features. It was an enjoyable and inspirational way to close out the screening, not only because it shed light on the film and its makers, but because it encouraged audiences to engage further.
Showing the darker side of a friendship through a character driven comedy, The Climb gives audiences a chance to appreciate the intricacies and complexities of people that can be difficult to talk about. Marvin and Covino’s performances examine some harsh realities of long term friendships with a comedic tone that viewers can relate to and laugh at, and The Climb offers audiences a modern cinematic representation of relationships that can be used to think about our own lives and how we treat the people who love us. During the Q&A, the filmmakers shared that The Climb began as an original short Marvin and Covino produced together that got into Sundance. From there, the idea grew, and the duo adapted it into their own feature. The unpretentious honesty about their journey towards making The Climb exemplifies that it is just as much the films that make up PIFF as the stories, conversations, and people that surround them. The Climb integrates well into PIFF’s festival theme of unbound cinema through a unique vision and expression that has the power to engage our communities.
-Sarah Johnson
PSU School of Film @ PIFF 