Title: Kilimanjaro<\/p>\n
Screened At: SXSW 2013<\/p>\n
Directed By: Walter Strafford<\/p>\n
Starring: Brian Geraghty, Chris Marquette, Abigail Spencer, Alexia Rasmussen, Jim Gaffigan<\/B><\/p>\n
\u201cKilimanjaro\u201d is very clearly labeled a romantic drama, but with a title like that, you expect at least a little suspense, even if it can only exist in the realm of relationship woes. However, Brian Geraghty\u2019s Doug is just too meek, predictable and almost detached to spark much emotion from a viewer.<\/p>\n
Doug and Clare (Geraghty and Alexia Rasmussen) are the perfect couple. They share a nice apartment, each set of parents approves of the relationship, and they\u2019re right on the cusp of taking that next big step \u2013 until Clare decides to move out. Doug\u2019s completely thrown off, his mundane, repetitive existence even more unappealing than usual, until he finds solace in the idea of doing something different, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.<\/p>\n
\u201cKilimanjaro\u201d is far gentler and duller than the name suggests. Writer-director Walter Strafford does a solid job of making the story, world and characters feel real and relatable, but the story, world and characters are too unexceptional to make the film compelling.<\/p>\n
There are narrative issues right from the start. Clare decides to break up with Doug because another couple\u2019s relationship looks more appealing \u2013 an irrational and unlikely reason for someone to end a solid, long-term relationship. Clare\u2019s decision-making becomes even more unfounded as the film progresses, as even though she\u2019s the one that opts to move out, she\u2019s always the one who refuses to let Doug go.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s no wonder; Doug\u2019s a good guy. In fact, he\u2019s too good of a guy to lead a movie. Geraghty turns Doug into an adorable, soft-spoken, hardworking cutie, but he\u2019s got little to no emotional range, making him entirely predictable. Even though he\u2019s ready to commit to moving on and leaving Clare behind, you just know that each and every time she calls him, he\u2019s going to answer. The only time the pattern is ever shaken up is if someone else pressures Doug or just flat out makes the move for him.<\/p>\n
That weak nature is exacerbated further by the fact that Doug is surrounded by far more colorful characters. Clare is fairly blah, further solidifying the duo as the too-perfect couple, but then there\u2019s Mitch who has no filter, Doug\u2019s father (Bruce Altman) who\u2019s overbearing to the max, and Doug\u2019s fling, Yvonne (Abigail Spencer), who\u2019s so wacky, she seems a little out of her mind. In this world of eccentric characters, Doug takes the form of the itty-bitty pushover with a laughably fake limp whining over his Kilimanjaro trip.<\/p>\n
And even that wouldn\u2019t have been such a terrible thing had the trip actually meant something to the audience. The idea to climb the mountain pops into Doug\u2019s head courtesy of some channeling surfing. There\u2019s nothing wrong with random instances of inspiration, but the script never backs it up. All of a sudden, the idea is there and then it\u2019s the be all, end all. Why? It\u2019s tough to say. In fact, Doug never really says it himself. He tells a number of people the trip is really important to him, but never elaborates. Geraghty does manage to establish a connection between the viewer and Doug through his natural, charming performance, but because we have no reason to believe his end goal is as important as he says it is, the movie loses a good deal of its build and forward motion.<\/p>\n
\u201cKilimanjaro\u201d is just mediocre all around. Minus the aforementioned limp, no one\u2019s doing anything terribly wrong and the film is proficient enough, but there\u2019s just nothing there to spark excitement, making the large majority of the piece fall flat.<\/p>\n
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