To The Limit

Poetic realism vies with contrived tension in this account of an attempt by Bavaria’s Huber brothers to break a speed-climbing record at Yosemite’s infamous El Capitan peak. The most powerful moments in the film are the stillest, as the two self-proclaimed “obsessed spirits” frankly ponder a stormy sibling rivalry and address climbing minutiae such as the artful application of hand tape. The action shots are often breathtaking, but overbearing mood music, shaky-cam and other would-be enhancements leave you wishing To the Limit had escaped postproduction meddling.