The Climb

Written by its stars Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin, this shambling buddy comedy follows old pals Mike (Corvino, who also directs) and Kyle (Marvin) through the break-ups, bachelor parties and life events that make up a friendship. Though the pair are often unappealing - Mike's a selfish ass, Kyle's a pushover - their interactions have a fresh, funny, improvised feel, such as when a distraught Mike blurts out details of his sex life at his late wife's funeral, only to realise the congregation is looking on in horror. Flawed masculinity may be a familiar indie-film topic, but what elevates the material is Zach Kuperstein's extraordinary cinematography, which brings to mind Emmanuel Lubezki's Oscar-winning work on Birdman. Overseeing a series of staggering unbroken takes, Kuperstein floats his camera alongside the characters as they encounter tricky terrain, both emotional and topographic. A case in point is the ten-minute opening shot, which follows the pair as they cycle over a steep hill in France, their relationship seeming to unravel in real time.